A True Warrior's Elegy
by Elisieya-the-Dragonborn
Summary: Elisieya had always wanted adventure, to travel and learn new things. After the events of Helgen the young Dragonborn gets everything she wished for and more. Can she defeat the World Eater and restore peace to her motherland? Or is doomed to fail like the Heroes of Old? It's going to be one long ride straight to Sovngrade. Fate is going to drag her there, kicking and screaming.
1. Prologue-Helgen

**Alright, so it has been such a long time since I've written..well...anything. Sorry for the long pause though. Of course, to get all the needed business out of the way, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim belongs to Bethesda, as well as all the canon characters. OCs belong to me. This is going to be the first, actual story I write. Like ever. I've only ever written one-shots up till this point, so bare with me as I learn. Let me know if you see any spelling/grammar errors. Now, here we go ladies and gents!**

Much about Elisieya was a mystery, even to the girl herself. Her parentage, a mystery. Her surname, a mystery. Her past, a mystery to everyone else. Her future, a mystery. How she ended up on the back of a rattling carriage, now that wasn't a mystery. The nineteen year old Nord had been living in Cyrodill for practically all of her life. In fact, the only way she knew she was a Nord was the fact that her caretaker, Carlesis had told her about where she was born. That added to the fact that she was paler than most and her hair was such a fair color, and she was rather battle-focused. This caused a perspicacious curiosity to take root in the young, imaginative girl to daydream constantly about this land called Skyrim. It wasn't too far from the home where she grew up. In fact, she lived just a short carriage ride away from the border. She would sometimes climb to the roof of her caretaker's small cottage and gaze out at outlying mountain ahead of her, longing for something more than just this simple, quiet life. Little did she know, she was going to get her wish. She had run into some trouble back in her home town, causing for an arrest, and a rather daring escape if she did say so herself. She had fled to the safety of the border, when she had encountered something she had been trying to avoid at this moment. Elisieya had run straight into a large group of Imperials. She had been a good distance away to watch the events before her, seeing that the group the Imperials were so focused on were quietly surrendering. She could the soldiers, but who they were, Elisieya did not know. Too bad those few men and women seemed to be outnumbered. She believed that she would've gotten to see a real battle had the numbers been equal. As the men and women were bound and herded in a circle, Elisieya heard someone mention an execution. This was when she had decided now would be a good time to leave, but Lady Luck was not on her side seeing as when she turned to leave, she came face to face with an Imperial, shouting at her. She did the one thing she could do in this moment. She ran. She was caught all too soon, but she was a fighter by instinct. She squirmed and wiggled, making it very difficult for the Imperials trying to hold her down. This moment was when Elisieya became rather close friends with a pommel to a sword. Her vision darkened and that was the last thing she recalled.

Slowly coming to, the first thing Elisieya felt was cold, like they were crossing through snow and wind. The next thing she felt was discomfort. Not just from the bruise forming at her temple, but from the jumping and rattling cart she seemed to be sat in. She wasn't sure why, but Elisieya hated riding in carriages and would avoid it as often as she could, but the Imperials didn't really seem too bothered by their prisoners' comfort. A low groan slipped past the young adult's lips as she attempted to reach up and cradle her throbbing head when her left hand seemed to follow the right on its own. Her honey golden eyes, which were glancing a bit at the snowy landscape, moved down to her wrists. Elisieya resisted the urge to just outright whine at the sight. Bound again. Testing the strength of the ropes, Elisieya pulled a bit at them, wincing as the threads rubbed her ivory skin slightly. That was her cue to stop that action. She settled on looking around to try and see if she knew where they were. She was met with unfamiliar plant life, and even stranger, snow. They were definitely moving through the mountains. It was mid-Spring last she checked. That or she had just been unconscious longer than she had originally thought. Her last thought was least likely though. There could only be one explanation. She was in a new land, which she had also wanted to travel but not under these circumstances. Giving up on trying to locate herself, Elisieya set on taking in the appearances of those around her. There was one really gorgeous blonde guy nearly directly across from her, a ragged man with messy black hair to her right some, and in front of him was another male. This one was different from the other two. He was much older looking, with dark red hair, and a piercing gaze. These features were not what drew Elisieya's attention to linger on him longer than the others. It was the gag wrapped around the elder's mouth. Why did he have a gag and not the rest of them? The nineteen year old was pulled from her thoughts by an accented voice calling to her.

"Hey, you. You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border right? Same as us. And that thief over there." The blonde male informed her, nodding his head slightly in the direction of the ragged man whom seemed to be glaring back.

"Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine til you came along. The Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell." The thief grumbled back to the other male. Elisieya's only thoughts were, why Hammerfell? Why not somewhere nicer? Like Valenwood? She nearly jumped when he turned his head to her and for a brief millisecond, Elisieya feared he had read her mind. "You there. You and me-we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants." There was that name again. Stormcloaks. Why was that name familiar? Was that the force that the Imperials were ambushing?

"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, horse thief." The slightly annoyed voice to her left stated. The thief barely regarded the other's statement as the cart driver called back to them.

"Shut up back there!" Oh that voice alone made Elisieya just want to punch him in the mouth. They were just talking. He could deal with it.

"And what's wrong with him, huh?" The thief questioned, pulling Elisieya's attention away from the soldier and back to the thief. She followed his line of sight to the gagged man and she too, just looked at him.

"Watch your tongue. You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King." The handsomer man snapped, causing Elisieya to quickly look at him for a brief time before returning to looking at the elder. So, his name was Ulfric Stormcloak. Wait. Stormcloak? Now it was all coming back to Elisieya like waves crashed on a beach. The rumors and whispers of a rebellion in Skyrim. The rebels called themselves Stormcloaks. Oh gods, she was in a bigger mess than she had first thought. Good job Elisieya. Only you could go from running from fat prison guards, to the clutches of the elite forces of the Empire alongside the rebel force. Apparently she wasn't the only one becoming panicked because the slowly increasing in pitch of the ragged thief's voice spoke again.

"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they captured you….oh gods, where are they taking us?" He asked no one in particular as his expression changed from agitation to fear.

"I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits." The blonde answered solemnly as he stared at the path ahead of them.

"No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening." The thief nearly squeaked in terror. Okay, Elisieya was scared too, but at least she was going to keep her dignity, and her thoughts, to herself. The blonde man either felt the growing fear of the two random passengers, or he just wanted to change the subject to calm himself.

"Hey, what village are you from horse thief?" he inquired quietly, a sad calm about him. The thief's response wasn't so calm, nor as quiet.

"Why do you care?" he almost snapped. The blonde seemed unaffected by his tone.

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home." he spoke simply. Home. A place Elisieya never really appreciated till now. She always hated that town. It was small and suffocating. She never felt like she belonged there. She was the only Nord in a town of Imperials. She never truly belonged there, but now she wanted to be back more than she ever had in her whole life. The men continued to talk, but Elisieya had tuned them out as she went through her memories of that little village. The yellow wildflowers that grew around her tiny home, the voice of her caretaker telling her to come back inside, the warmth of the sun on her skin as she splashed in the small pond near by. All of it came back to her right in that moment. Maybe this was what they meant when they said, near death your life flashes before your eyes. By the time she was pulled from her reminiscing, the cart had come to a sudden halt. The thief spoke her thoughts.

"Why are we stopping?" he asked, his nerves seeming to grow even further like an unmanaged weed.

"Why do you think? End of the line." Blondy said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, but he was subtle about it. "Let's go. Shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us." When he spoke this time, there seemed to be some determination in his voice. This gave Elisieya some courage as well, but it was hidden by her fear, grief, and panic. As they all stood, the thief continued.

"No! Wait! We're not rebels!" he exclaimed to guards who clearly weren't listening or just didn't care. It was probably a bit of both.

"Face your death with some courage, thief." The Nord nearly growled behind her as they filed off the cart one by one.

"You've got to tell them! We weren't with you! This is a mistake!" Horse thief kept on. Now he was just starting to get on Elisieya's nerves. It was in situations such as these that one needed to accept the reality presented to them. This reality was that their lives were about to end. They couldn't fight it, nor do anything about it. So freighting over it was futile and just plain annoying. A cold shiver ran through her, causing her skin to break out into goosebumps when a woman, no, an Imperial Captain called to them.

"Step towards the block when we call your name. One at a time." she ordered. Elisieya had to move herself some to see the woman due to the towering figure of Ulfric plus the horse thief in front of her.

"Empire loves their damn lists." The blonde grumbled to himself as he glared at the Imperial man and woman before them. Elisieya ignored nearly every voice around her as she looked around. Maybe she could run for it. She might make it if she could get behind the house to her right. It would be harder for them to shoot arrows at her. That plan was destroyed when the thief, whose name she now learned was Lokir, ran only to be shot by an arrow in the back.

"Anyone else feel like running?" The Captain asked as her eyes seemed to fix a hard glare on Elisieya. The Nordic teen could feel a cold sweat drip down the back of her neck and into her strawberry blonde hair as she swallowed a hard lump in her throat.

"Wait. You there." The man reading from the list spoke, also looking to Elisieya. "Step forward." He ordered. Elisieya's legs seemed to move on their own in a stiff manner, right up to the Captain and list man. "Who are you?" List man asked her pointedly. Elisieya took a deep breath, wanting to be sure her voice did not betray the fear she was feeling.

"Elisieya." She informed him simply, not giving him any other information. List Man nodded and scribbled on his paper as he spoke again.

"You picked a bad time to come home to Skyrim, kinsman." He looked to the woman beside him, not noticing how Elisieya stiffened slightly. Kinsman? People in her town never referred to one another that way, even if they were the same race. "Captain. What should we do? She's not on the list?" Not on the list? Did that mean she would get to go home? The Captain didn't even need to blink with her answer, crushing all of Elisieya's hopes in one go.

"Forget the list. She goes to the block." The Captain spoke firmly, waving her hand slightly.

"By your orders, Captain. I'm sorry. At least you'll die here, in your homeland." Sorry? Did he really just say he was sorry? How in all of Tamriel was that supposed to make her feel better? Sorry? Oh, please. "Follow the Captain, prisoner." Like she had much of a choice. The rest passed in a blur as Elisieya felt herself start to grow numb as her eyes landed on the chopping block. She couldn't look away from the spot where she would lose her life. Not even when a strange, almost growl like noise was heard in the sky, nor when an angry man had his own head removed there. Her stomach tightened, making her want to vomit as she stared at the blood and muscle she could see from her spot.

"Next, the Nord in the rags!" The Captain shouted, earning Elisieya's immediate attention. Her head snapped up as she stared at the Captain, eyes wide and almost pleading. The strange noise was heard again, but this time, Elisieya looked up at the sky with everyone else. What was that?

"There it is again. Did you hear that?" List Man asked. The Captain wasn't having it.

"I said, next prisoner." List Man looked to Elisieya, who was now staring at him as well.

"To the block prisoner. Nice and easy." Elisieya shakily walked to the same spot that the dead man was. They could've at least moved the body away, but the Empire was seeming less and less courteous with each last passing moments of her life. A hand on her back lowered Elisieya to her knees, and a foot laid her down more so her head was physically on the block. She could feel the warm, sticky blood of the man before her against the right side of her face. This involuntarily brought a whimper from the back of her throat as she resisted the urge to vomit and watched as the Executioner raised his axe. Her eyes left the man to stare in numbing shock at a large, black mass flew into view and landed on the tower in front of her. Elisieya stared into its vibrant, red eyes and black form as she heard the yell of what it was. Dragon! But that was impossible! They were just stories. Two roars came from the dragon after that. One brought fiery rocks falling from the sky and the other pushed things rather far from it, including Elisieya. She was pushed from the block some, her vision blurring as she became disoriented. Through the sounds of crashes, roars, screams, and fighting, Elisieya heard a familiar voice call to her. Instincts kicked in with adrenaline to fuel them and Elisieya found herself with Ralof of Riverwood, Ulfric Stormcloak, and two other rebels in a tower. The two men were talking, but she couldn't fully hear them. The ringing in her ears was too loud. At least her vision came back to clarity to see Ralof motion for her to follow him. Despite her hands still being bound, Elisieya followed after Ralof, running up the tower steps. She saw a man bending down to clear some things when the stones from the wall ahead of her burst through and the dragon's head appeared in the hole, breathing fire into the opening. Ralof had managed to get the shocked girl away from the flames and falling ruble some before helping her up the rest of the way.

"See that inn on the other side? Jump through the roof and keep going!" Ralof exclaimed to her. Elisieya didn't want to leave the few men that could fight, but she obeyed and rather ungracefully, stood on the ledge then jumped through the hole and into the inn. A sharp pain ran through her legs as she landed on the wood, causing her to fall forward some with a heavy thud. She hissed in discomfort, but forced herself up and down to the first floor where she ran into List Man from earlier. Elisieya repressed the urge to growl at him as he guided a child to safety and ordered a man to care for him. The old man spoke his name and a blessing as List Man, Hadvar, told her to stick close if she wanted to stay alive. She did not like him one bit, but she wasn't dumb. She knew her best chance was with him, even if she didn't like it. The two ran through the streets of this town that Elisieya would later learn was called Helgen.

"Stay close to the wall!" Hadvar ordered and she did just that. They were about to head up a small flight of stairs when the dragon landed on the wall they were pressed against. This unbalanced her, but not nearly as much as the shock did when its wing came within inches of her face. Her heart was now just pounding in her chest as she continued to follow Hadvar, who was ordered to the keep by the General. Elisieya ran faster than she ever had before to stay up with Hadvar just to see him slow and stop. "Ralof, you damn traitor! Out of my way!" he shouted and Elisieya looked to the man he shouted at.

"We're escaping Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time." Ralof snapped back.

"Fine! I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde!" Hadvar spat back before running beyond Ralof and calling to Elisieya to follow him. But, Ralof shouted the same as he ran to a different pair of doors. Not even needing to think about who to go with, Elisieya bolted after Ralof, entering the keep with him. Elisieya was panting heavily, just wishing for this day to end so her life could get back to normal. Little did the poor girl know, this was just weird day number one in her soon to be very crazy, very chaotic, and very dangerous life in her dreamed land of Skyrim.


	2. Chapter One-The Thalmor Embassy

**Aight guys, I'm back with chapter one of my Skyrim fanfic! I'm going to be skipping over a few quests and just mentioning them because if I did them all…...ain't nobody got time for dat. So, each chapter is going to hold the important parts I need to set up the main plot line, meaning I'm going to be skipping quite a few things. Though if you want me to, just comment what you would like to see me write quest wise and if it can't fit into the story, I promise it will be written into one shots. Chapter one starts off after Elisieya has discovered she's Dragonborn, gotten the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, has done the whole Companions quest, and is getting ready to infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the amazing game/characters of Skyrim. Bethesda gets that claim. All OCs and plots are mine tho. Enjoy!**

Six months. Over six months since the events of Helgen and Elisieya had already experienced enough of the land she fantasized about than she had ever really wanted to. Sure she had wanted to explore the vast and colorful terrains of her homeland, but not the ruins of it while worrying about controlling her voice, fighting and taking the souls of dragons. It was a lot to ask of anyone, let alone a nineteen year old who wouldn't be considered a real adult for another two more years. In all sense of the title, Elisieya was a very reluctant hero. She did not want people looking to her, nor putting their hopes, faith, and trust in her. She had a habit of letting people down. She didn't want the power she had and would gladly give it to anyone else. She didn't want the responsibilities that she held. She just wanted to go to taverns with friends she had made, drink, dance, and overall have a good time in her youth. Not study with the Greybeards about her voice so she didn't accidentally hurt anyone with it, nor train with her Skyforge steel sword, nor did she want and feel ready to lead a whole group of people. Elisieya didn't want to form bonds with anyone here. Especially after Kodlak. He had become the closest thing she had to any sort of parent figure in her life, only to have her let him down by taking on the beast blood and not be there to defend him when he was killed. She had only taken on the beast blood in an attempt to feel like she had a place with someone, but after she had come back to Jorrvaskr after a rather rough transformation, covered in blood and dirt, shaking and crying after killing some innocent people she had no memory of, did she decided to help Kodlak cure themselves of this curse. Kodlak hadn't asked her what happened that night. He didn't need to. It was as if he just knew. He had taken her to his room and had her change and get cleaned off. He had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and let her cry in his arms for hours. It was well past dawn when Kodlak had her rest in his bed and he slept out in his office area. When Elisieya had returned from being sent to retrieve the heads of those ghastly witches to find Kodlak murdered because of decisions she made, did the girl officially choose not to raise her sword to anyone unless attacked first. The once brash, boastful, impulsive girl was becoming nearly unrecognizable to the people who had known her in the past. It was to be expected however, after going through some of the things Elisieya already had to experience in just a short amount of time. After being named Harbinger of the Companions and making sure that the Circle could manage things without her, Elisieya resumed her main purpose. Returning to Delphine in Riverwood after she had proven she was the Dragonborn was a rather stressful time. Not only was she going to have to sneak into the Thalmor Embassy without being fingered as a spy, but she had to do it alone. Elisieya held no love for the Thalmor, nor any High Elves for that matter. Too many bad experiences in her old place with them. Thus we arrive on today, however, with the growing warrior staring at Delphine nervously outside of Katla's farm a bit as she held the invitation with her name on it.

"But the only way you're going to get past the guards is if they really believe you're an invited guest." Delphine informed the young Dragonborn as she shifted to a more comfortable sitting position on the rock in front of Elisieya. "Which means you have to look the part, and not be armed to the teeth. Here, put this on." The Breton ordered as she leaned to the right a bit to reach into a knapsack she had brought to pull out some clothes and a pair of shoes. Gingerly handing them over to Elisieya, the young adult looked to the clothes with a single raised eyebrow before she flicked her gaze up to Delphine, then back to the clothes as if asking if she was serious. When Delphine's only response was a serious gaze, Elisieya sighed, though it was more of a groan.

"Fine. Give me a second." she asked of the woman as she moved into the wheat tower next to the rocks to change into the fancy clothing. She had gotten used to wearing her wolf armour. It was stronger, more durable, and made her feel safer than the clothes she was currently slipping into. It couldn't be helped, she guessed. It would be too conspicuous if she went in with her armour on. Once Elisieya had fastened the last clasp and slipped on the shoes did she come back out to the Blade. She had a pout on her face as she handed her armour over. Delphine chuckled slightly, shaking her head as she took the armour.

"Don't pout like that. You look pretty good in those clothes." Delphine stated as she put the armour and the rest of Elisieya's things into a bag to take back to her inn. The woman smiled even more when her statement received a loud groan as a response. "When you're ready, I'll keep the rest of your gear safe until you get back. You'll only have what Malborn smuggled in for you, plus whatever you pick up inside."

"I hate this, so much." Elisieya grumbled as she began to smooth out her long, wavy, strawberry blonde hair to make herself look at least a little more presentable. Elisieya never really liked getting fancy fancy. Sure she liked wearing nice dresses sometimes, but nothing like these. As she fixed up her hair, Delphine looked back to the Dragonborn, looking her over.

"Hmm, I guess that will have to do. You should pass for a real guest, at least until you open your mouth." This information caused a tiny glare to be given to the Blade from the slightly shorter Dragonborn that was effectively ignored. "Ready to board the carriage to the Embassy?" The glare replaced with a look of anxiety, but determination as Elisieya nodded.

"I'm ready. Keep the rest of my things safe for me." Elisieya requested as she glanced to the knapsack where Kodlak's journal rested securely. She read it often, when she was feeling down. Now was one of those times.

"Don't worry, it will all be waiting for you when you get back." Delphine assured the fretting girl as she ushered her to the carriage. "Just make sure you get back out of there alive with the information we need. Good luck." Elisieya climbed onto the carriage, left alone in her thoughts. Yeah, just come back alive with the information needed, taken from the most secured place in Skyrim, filled with a bunch of High Elves that had weapons and magic and greatly outnumbered her. No pressure. Elisieya ran over her dialog in her head over and over during the whole ride up to the Embassy. She went over her plan, her words, and even practiced speaking and sitting as properly as she could. Practice helped calm her nerves. If there was one good thing about Elisieya that was also a bad thing, she always had to be in control and right now she wasn't exactly feeling an abundance of control.

As the carriage halted in front of the Embassy, Elisieya carefully climbed out the back of it and looked up to examine the building when a voice caught her attention.

"Ah! A fellow latecomer to Elewen's little soiree. And arriving by carriage no less! I salute you, good lady." Elisieya turned to look to the over of the voice, a small smile on her face. Might as well start the act now and calm her nerves further. She let out a small chuckle before walking up to the steps, where she was stopped by a Thalmor Soldier.

"Welcome to the Thalmor Embassy. Your invitation, please." The soldier asked of Elisieya. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, but Elisieya showed no signs of discomfort on her exterior. Reaching into her pocket, she handed the invitation over to the man.

"Here you go." she said simply, her voice slightly chipper as she smiled to the guard. The Thalmor agent looked it over before handing it back to her.

"Thank you ma'am. Go right in." With the okay given, Elisieya relaxed more and took the vital piece of paper back. She gave a small nod to the guard and walked coolly up the steps and inside the Embassy. Though, thanks to her luck, Elewen was the first one to meet her. Elisieya mentally cursed to herself, yet smiled rather properly to the woman.

"Welcome. I don't believe we've met. I'm Elewen, the Thalmor Ambassador to Skyrim. And you are..." Even the voice of the Altmer felt like nails on a chalkboard to the Nord. Elisieya despised Altmers. They always acted like they were better than every other race out there and talked to everyone like they were an insect. True, she was friends with one or two. Wait. Just one, but the point still stood. She did not like them whatsoever. But this mission was too important for her personal views to get in the way. So, Elisieya offered a slight bow of her head to the Ambassador.

"My name is Elisieya. Pleased to meet you." she greeted back, almost sickeningly sweet to the other woman who simply put her hands on her hips and returned the fake smile.

"Ah yes. I remember your name from the guest list. Please, tell me more about yourself. What brings you to this….to Skyrim?" Just the way she said the name of her motherland caused rage to stir within Elisieya. She just wanted to shout at her, or punch her, or something. She was here because a group of Thalmor agents decided to act like they owned this land and have her head chopped off. Now she was here to fight dragons and take their souls because no one else could really kill them, all thanks to the Thalmor. Elisieya needed to calm down and answer, but she never got to answer. Elewen's attention was taken by Malborn, who was requesting permission to get more wine. The woman spoke to him as if he were a Chaurus, making Elisieya's brow twitch as she kept up her self control. "My apologies. We'll have to get better acquainted later. Please, enjoy yourself." And just like that, the Ambassador was back over to the guests who had arrived on time. Saved by the Bosmer. Elisieya approached Malborn, smiling some to him. Malborn looked to her now, still acting professional.

"What can I get for you?" he asked before moving only his eyes to glance around some. Elisieya made sure to lower her voice as she answered with two simple words.

"I'm ready." Getting the message, Malborn straightened up.

"Of course! Let me see if we have another bottle of that." He spoke with regular volume before dropping his voice. "I'll be waiting by the door for everyone to be distracted." The Bosmer informed her. Elisieya gave a simple nod and leaned against the counter, letting her eyes roam around the party for some ideas. This was when she spotted the man from outside. Razelan, she believed she heard his name said by one of the guards who let him in. Perfect. He had said he preferred to come early to these parties for the alcohol. Spotting a waitress, Elisieya strode over to her with confidence, a smooth smile on her face as she asked what she could do for her."I'd like a drink." she requested of the female Bosmer.

"Of course, ma'am. Colovian Brandy." she informed her as Elisieya took a cup from the tray. Not even giving the woman a second glance, Elisieya walked over to Razelan, her smile turning friendly. As soon as she approached him, Razelan looked up to her and crossed his arms.

"What does a fellow have to do to get a drink around here?" He asked jokingly, yet there was a hint of annoyance in his voice. Perfect. Everything was playing out just how she wanted.

"Here, I brought you a drink." Elisieya uttered to him in a soft voice. Instantly, the man brightened up as he took the cup from the Nord.

"Ah, the one generous soul amongst a gathering of pinch-pennies and lick-spittles!" Razelan mused, causing Elisieya to chuckle some, herself as she waited to hear the words she needed. "If there is anything I can ever do for you, don't hesitate to call upon me!" Perfect. Simply perfect. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Elisieya smiled more, but with a bit of slyness to her as she spoke again.

"Actually, there is something you could do for me." She hummed softly as the man sipped the brandy.

"Wonderful! I can begin to repay your generosity immediately. Say on, friend." Elisieya moved to sit down next to him so she could lower her voice and not be seen as suspicious.

"I need you to create a scene. Get everyone's attention for a few minutes." She requested, keeping her voice quiet and making sure her posture looked as if she were flirting with him. That way, if anyone was watching, they would simply get the impression that Elisieya was brown-nosing for some contacts with Razelan.

"Is that all? My friend, you have come to the right person. You could say that causing a scene is a specialty of mine. Stand back and behold my handiwork!" With the cue given, Razelan and Elisieya stood at the same time, yet as Razelan walked towards the small crowd of people, Elisieya walked back over towards Malborn. The two waited for a short moment as Razelan started before they rushed.

"Let's go. Let's go. Before anyone notices us." Malborn whispered urgently as he opened the door that lead to the kitchens. Elisieya quickly hurried inside the room and turned just in time to see the door closing with Malborn in the room with her. "So far so good. Let's hope nobody saw us slip out." He stated, sounding a bit winded in Elisieya's opinion. "We need to pass through the kitchens. Your gear is hidden in the larder. Just stay close and let me do any talking, got it? Follow me." With the instructions given, the pair entered the kitchens, Elisieya remaining silent as she had promised. Luckily, they made it through the kitchens with no real incident of importance and to the storage room where her gear was hidden. After telling her that she need to hurry because he had to lock the door behind her, Elisieya made Malborn hush as she armed herself with her Orcish bow and iron arrows. She slipped out of the room with her bow drawn, silently beginning to sneak through the hallway as the door was closed and locked behind her. This was where the fun begins.

Elisieya panted softly as she stared down at the corpse of a Thalmor Wizard, her hand shaking a bit from the small fight that just took place. She really needed to build up her stamina, but that was an issue for another time. Sliding her Skyforge steel sword back in its sheath, Elisieya walked to a chest that was positioned behind a work desk that she had killed the Thalmor in front of. Crouching carefully, she opened the lid and peered inside. There were two red journals and one small packet of papers. Taking all three out of the chest, Elisieya scanned the journals first to see if they held any importance. To her surprise, they did hold much value. One was a report on Delphine and the other on Ulfric Stormcloak. Slipping the journals into her bag, she opened the folded, three sheets of paper and began to read. So, the Thalmor knew nothing of the dragon attacks? They seemed to think the Blades did and they were looking for someone. She needed to get this all back to Delphine to see if she would know who the Thalmor might be searching for or not. Well, she'd keep the journaled reports and give the information on the current dragon investigations to the Blade. Silently, with a key to an interrogation chamber in hand, Elisieya resumed her trek through the solar, hoping to gather more than just these simple findings. As quietly as she could, the Nord unlocked the door to the chamber and slipped inside unnoticed, thankfully, by the two Thalmor in the room. One was sitting at a desk, asking questions while the other was in a cell with a chained man torturing him. Cowards. Having to do this to people to get information was cowardly. Elisieya suppressed her growl as she snuck down the stairs. She didn't even want to hear what was being asked. She simply equipped her bow and drew the string, aiming for the Interrogator. The now released arrow found its way to the Thalmor's back, though it did not kill him unfortunately. This action alerted the two Altmer to Elisieya's location, resulting in the girl switching back to her sword and branded shield. While the shield did good against the strikes from the torturer's elven mace, it did little to block to bolts of electricity that was shot from the wizard. Elisieya could feel her left arm starting to bruise up as she held up her shield to the furious blows of the Altmer. This created the perfect opportunity to bash the woman in the face, knocking her off balance. Without a moment's hesitation, Elisieya plunged the blade into her gut before ripping it out and spinning to deliver the killing strike across the Thalmor's neck. With her taken care of, she could deal with Mister Lightening Fingers over here. Although small burns were beginning to form along her skin and party clothes, the lightening felt nothing like dragon's fire and so it did not hurt Elisieya as badly as it probably should have. Elisieya charged the wizard, quickly grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to his knees as she lifted her blade and thrust it down through the right junction of his neck and shoulder and straight to his heart. Drawing her blade back out was a bit difficult due to the muscle, tissue, and bone she had to rip through causing blood to flow rather quickly from the now dead elf. Elisieya kicked the body away from her and took a few steps back, reaching up to wipe some of the blood spatter off of her face with the back of her hand. She stared at the body before scoffing at it. He deserved it. They both did. The little stunted imps. Cleaning the blood from her blade, Elisieya resheathed it before looking to the chest in the room with the prisoner having been completely forgotten. Much like the chest before this room, there was simply a red journal inside. Letting the lid to the chest simply drop closed, the Dragonborn opened the journal, skimming through this as well. This one was on a man named Esbern. Huh, apparently he was a Blade that knew a lot about dragons. While reading through the journal, a door closed upstairs that Elisieya didn't notice until a voice spoke which resulted in Elisieya nearly dropping the journal as she quickly moved into a sneaking position and pressed her back against the wall so she wasn't spotted.

"Listen up spy! You're trapped in here, and we have your accomplice!" A male voice shouted down to her. Her blood ran cold. Malborn. They had Malborn. "Surrender immediately or you both die!" What was she to do? She couldn't surrender, but she couldn't let another person die because of her. With little time available to fully decide, Elisieya redrew her weapon and impulsively charged up the stairs to the soldiers to begin her attack. Resulting in her attack, Malborn joined in as well, but the poor fool was unarmed.

"Malborn! Just run downstairs! I've got this!" she shouted to the Bosmer as she fought both Altmers. Malborn didn't listen to her and kept fighting alongside her. This brought the attention of one of the soldiers back to him, which resulted in a blade going through Malborn. Elisieya stared for a second and the fallen body of someone she was owed a debt to with wide eyes. This was when the fury set in. With a low growl that sounded much like a Dovah, Elisieya stepped back and shouted. " _Yol Toor!_ " A large wall of fire sprang passed her lips and engulfed the two elves, burning them to death. Not even bothering to clean her blade nor look at Malborn's body, Elisieya searched the two elves' bodies till she found the trapdoor key that she had a feeling she was going to need. Stiffly marching back down the stairs and passed the cell with the prisoner, Elisieya finally remembered the man. Barely saying a few words to him, she freed him and walked with him to the trap door, unlocking it and jumping down carefully. In her rage and grief that she hid well, Elisieya simply dropped down the ledge after hearing the growls and grunts of a troll. She needed to hit something, badly, and the troll was going to be the lucky punching bag. Or unlucky in the troll's case. The frost troll only managed to land two hard blows to Elisieya before she had him dead on the ground before her while the prisoner escaped through the tunnel. Disregarding everything else, Elisieya turned and followed the prisoner out as well her mind on one thing. She was tired of watching people die around her. It seemed like a cruel joke to her, that she always lived yet so many died in her stead. Despite her deepest wish that only the gods would hear and know about, many more were going to die before the end of all this.


	3. Chapter Two-Stormcloak?

**I'm back! Chapter two is where the story officially begins now that we have been slightly introduced to Elisieya. I'm going to be straying from the official dialogue a bit for obvious reasons (we all know the truth about Bethesda's AI).**

 **Disclaimer: Same as before. I don't own Skyrim, the canon characters, official dialogue, etc. The OCs and plot/Elisieya's story is mine though. Enjoy this chapter, ladies and gents!**

Elisieya's honey eyes narrowed as she watched the retreating form of Alduin, the harsh wind from the Throat of the World's peak stinging her cheeks and throwing her strawberry blonde hair in any direction it wished. Although she had beat Alduin here on this mountain, she did not kill him. She couldn't kill him here, apparently. Lowering her head to look to Dragonbane, she tilted the sword a bit, examining the slight chips in the metal as well as the dragon's blood that littered it. She was going to need to fix up the blade. Lifting her arm some to bring the blade closer, a sharp, burning pain ran up Elisieya's side and she hissed, her free hand moving to grip the wound the World Eater managed to land on her. Maybe she should drink a healing potion. No, her body needed to heal itself on its own. She wouldn't always have potions to help her along. Taking a shaky breath, she lifted the blade once again, wincing as she used the cloth part of her Blades armour to wipe the blood and sheath the sword just as the flapping of wings followed by a slight tremor in the ground altered her that Paarthurnax had grounded himself. Elisieya raised her gaze to meet the Dovah's own, a small smile beginning to form just from the sight of the fellow Dov.

" _Lot krongrah_. You truly have the voice of a dovah. Alduin's allies will think twice after this victory." His deep, thundering voice spoke to the Dovahkiin. Elisieya had to chuckle some, if not a bit bitterly.

"It wasn't really a victory, seeing as Alduin escaped." She pointed out, keeping pressure on the wound to her side. Paarthurnax seemed to nod.

" _Ni liivrah hin moro_. True-this is not the final _krongrah._ But not even the heroes of old were able defeat Alduin in open battle." He pointed out to her, causing a genuine smile to actually form on her lips. "Alduin was always _pahlok-_ arrogant in his power. _Uznahgar paar._ He took domination as his birthright. This should shake the loyalty of the dov who serve him." A new stirring feeling of pride was growing in Elisieya's heart as she smiled at the dragon before her. It was always nicer to talk to one of her own kind rather than mortals sometimes. She nodded some, letting out a breathy scoff.

"I saw that for myself, but his arrogance will be his downfall." She assured her mentor and friend. "Though, now I need to find out where Alduin went." She reminded him as she tilted her stiff neck side to side to pop it some.

"Yes...one of his allies could tell us. _Motmahus_ -but it will not be easy to…..convince one of them to betray him." Paarthurnax discussed with the young dovah. In his eyes, Elisieya was still but a child using a power she had only just learned and that he had for centuries. The odds were not in her favor experience wise, but he knew she could succeed against the eldest brother. Paarthurnax saw the look of contemplation on the Dovahkiin's from his words, trying to think of ideas on how to get what she needed done. "Perhaps the _hofkansejun_ \- the palace in Whiterun, Dragonsreach. It was originally built to house a captive dovah." He offered his wisdom to the woman, who quickly turned her gaze up to him in surprise. Why hadn't she thought of that? Wait, what?

"Dragonsreach was built to hold a dragon?" Elisieya inquired as she tilted her head some in confusion. She didn't know that. Why? Paarthurnax seemed amused by her question.

"Yes. This was ages ago, you understand. There were more of us then. Before the _bruniikke_ \- the Akaviri came and killed all my _zeymah_." He informed her solemnly, yet also sounding a bit resigned. If that was the right word Elisieya should use to describe the change in his voice. "I used to visit him from time to time. Nearly crazed with loneliness and captivity. He did not even remember his own name. I do not know how he came to be caught. But the _broujun_...the Jarl...was very proud of his pet. _Paak._ The _hofkansejun_ has been known as Dragonsreach ever since. A fine place to trap one of Alduin's allies, hmm?" He added. If Elisieya didn't know any better, she would have said that Paarthurnax was smiling down at her. There was just one problem with this plan.

"The Jarl of Whiterun might not think so." She pointed out the major flaw in the plan, her hand leaving her side to rest on the hilt of Dragonbane. Paarthurnax hummed in concurrence.

"Your _su'um_ is strong. I do not doubt that you can convince him of the need." He vocalized his belief in her and Elisieya smiled again. She bowed her head respectfully to the Dovah.

"Well then, with your vote of confidence, I'm off to Whiterun." She mused before giving Paarthurnax a playful salute. "Be back soon, old man." She teased before beginning to usher herself rather quickly back down the mountain. Paarthurnax chuckled some.

"Such a conceit child." He called down to her before muttering to himself. "You have more in common with Alduin than you care to admit."

Unsurprisingly, it took quite a few days to travel from the Throat of the World, back down to Whiterun. This added to the number of days since Elisieya had first arrived in Skyrim. It was almost a year now since she had first come across Alduin on the chopping block. Since then, she had become a stronger woman. She was the Harbinger of the Companions, Arch Mage of the College of Winterhold, leader of the Thieves Guild, and a renowned dragonslayer. Elisieya was much stronger than before, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Paarthurnax's wisdom and guidance helped her through much of her struggles, yet she was still young. She spoke to him for long hours after their first meeting, telling him of her fears, her worries, her insecurities, and her frustrations. Each time, Paarthurnax was patient with her, talking to her and treating her as if she were his own child at these times. He guided her, encouraged her, gave her hope, and kept her going through these rough times. Especially after the betrayals and losses she had suffered. These thoughts were running through Elisieya's mind until the carriage she had hired came up on the Whiterun stables, letting her off. Now she had to think about how she was going to convince Jarl Balgruuf to let her trap a dragon in his city. This was going to be no easy task whatsoever. Still, Elisieya walked up to Dragonsreach and to the Jarl with a high head, confidence rolling off of her in waves. Her footsteps caught the man's attention and he turned to her, unable to help but smile at the young woman.

"Well, you certainly have changed since I last saw you." Balgruuf pointed out humorously as he relaxed further back into his throne. Elisieya smiled more and opened her arms to give a teasing curtsy.

"Comes with the territory when you find you're Dragonborn and everyone wants your help." She chatted with her friend, straightening up now. "Though, I'm pretty sure you know I'm not here for a social visit." Balgruuf sighed, but still smiled.

"I figured as much. What is it that you need?" he asked. The answer he received was not what he was expecting at all.

"I need your help. I need to trap a dragon in your palace." Elisieya stated as if it was the simplest thing in the world. There was the sound of clattering dishes behind her, as well as someone choking and all the whispers that had been around the tables from the Jarl's family and court all stopped. Not even turning her head, Elisieya let her eyes move to the side for a brief millisecond, then returned them to Balgruuf's. He was sitting straight up in his throne now, rigid and almost pale.

"Uh-heh." He chuckled nervously. "I must've misheard you. I thought you asked me to help you trap a dragon in my palace." He stated, though it was more of a question. He wanted to be sure this was just some kind of joke. But the look on Elisieya's face said otherwise. The recently turned twenty year old sighed some and lowered her voice a bit.

"You know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. It's the only way to stop the dragons." She informed him, her voice even and calm. Balgruuf was not as calm, however.

"What you're asking for is insane. Impossible!" The Jarl stated sharply as he leaned forward a bit. "You want me to let a dragon into the heart of my city, with the threat of war on my doorstep?" He asked pointedly. Just by the tone of his voice, Elisieya knew he was going to deny her his help and she was quickly losing patience. She was a lot of things, but patient was not one of them. Elisieya's stiffness now matched the Jarl's as she stood even taller and her voice grew a bit louder and agitated.

"The threat is worse than you realize. Alduin has returned!" She exclaimed, effectively ignoring the gasps, whispers, and even whimpers from behind her. This seemed to shake Jarl Balgruuf the Greater. His brows raised in worry and his shoulders fell some.

"Alduin? The World-Eater himself?" He asked in a breathless whisper as if someone had punched him in the chest. She might as well have with the news she had just presented to him. "But...how can we fight him? Doesn't his return mean it's the end times?" he asked of the Dragonborn. A new look of determination found its way onto Elisieya's features and she tilted her head up slightly.

"Maybe so, but I plan to go down fighting. What about you?" Elisieya asked. She wasn't one to believe in destiny as she told Paarthurnax what felt like so long ago. She was how she said she was. There was no plan for her. No force controlling her fate. It was just her. Balgruuf seemed to smile some at this.

"Spoken like a true Nord." He spoke proudly to her. "I am with you Dragonborn. Now what's this nonsense of trapping a dragon in my palace?" The Jarl of Whiterun questioned as he leaned back against his throne once more. Hope began to fill Elisieya's chest once more as it seemed that he was actually going to help her.

"It's the only way to find Alduin before it's too late." She assured him. "I fought him on the Throat of the World, but I discovered rather quickly that I cannot defeat him here. I need one of his allies to tell me where he has fled to and where it is that I can kill him." Elisieya believed honesty was the best way to go, even if the truth sucked. Balgruuf was quiet as he thought over the information he had just received and Elisieya refused to show how anxious he was actually making her with his silence. Then, finally, after having the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears as the only noise she heard for a while, the Jarl sighed. And it wasn't a good kind of sigh.

"I want to help you Dragonborn. And I will. But I need your help first." Balgruuf told her and Elisieya seriously considered ringing his neck. There was always a catch wasn't there? Always something she had to do for someone else before she could get any sort of help. Why couldn't people just help her without question? She was trying to save not just their world, but their souls as well. That should've been enough, but it never was. The Jarl continued to speak while these angry thoughts coursed through the Dovah's mind. "Ulfric and General Tullius are just waiting for me to make a wrong move. Do you think they will sit idle while a dragon is slaughtering my men and burning my city? No." His answer. Finally. "I cannot risk weakening the city while we're under the threat of an enemy attack. I'm sorry." Oh come on! She had just told him that the World-Eater had returned, and he just...Elisieya repressed a low growl as she tried to think. Do as Paarthurnax told her. Think before being quick to act. She took a few calming breaths as she glared at the ground when it hit her. Her brows shot up as she stared at the wooden floor in surprise.

"What if you didn't have to worry about an enemy attack?" Elisieya asked. Divines, she was crazy for even thinking this, but it was her only shot now. Balgruuf seemed as surprised as Elisieya was at the question. He blinked quickly and rubbed his beard some.

"Then I would be glad to help you with your mad dragon-trapping scheme." He assured her honestly, yet he wasn't finished. "But getting both sides to agree to a truce will be difficult at this point. The bitterness has gone too deep." The Jarl had a point there. Many times in her travels did Elisieya come across small battles between Imperials and Stormcloaks, and even when she was just passing by certain people, she could overhear just how much they hated one another. "Maybe….hmmmm….what of the Greybeards?" Jarl Balgruuf asked her. Elisieya looked to him, her brows knit together in confusion.

"What about them?" She responded to his question with a question of her own.

"They are respected by all Nords. High Hrothgar is neutral territory. If the Greybeards were willing to host a peace council…." He didn't need to finish his statement as Elisieya did so for him.

"Then maybe Ulfric and Tullius would have to listen." She whispered, a smile coming to her face. "I missed discussing plans with you." She laughed, resulting in Balgruuf chuckling as well.

"As have I, Thane." Jarl Balgruuf hummed some, smiling at his good friend. Elisieya stood as tall as she had when she had first entered Dragonsreach.

"Leave this to me. I'll talk to Arngeir about hosting a peace council." Elisieya promised and crossed her left arm over her chest with her hand fisted. It was a respectful goodbye between warriors. Luckily her wound was much better now, or moving her arm as she had would've been painful. Balgruuf stood and returned the gesture.

"Aye, Dragonborn. Maybe you can stop the dragons-and this war in the bargain." He vocalized his hopes to her. Elisieya smiled.

"I will do what I can." With that promise made, Elisieya turned from the Great Hall and walked out the main doors to head back to High Hrothgar.

After having stopped at her house in Whiterun to rest and resupply, Elisieya was back on the road at six that morning. Unfortunately for her, Skyrim was much bigger than she could have ever first imagined. It was three in the afternoon by the time the Dragonborn had finally reached the monastery. Being as quiet as she could so she didn't disturb any meditation, Elisieya pushed open the heavy doors and closed them silently behind her. It didn't take long for her to find Arngeir, for the old man was usually either kneeling at a window, in the main hall, or sitting and reading. She found his doing the later when she approached him. "Sorry to disturb your peace Master Arngeir." Elisieya gave him an apologetic smile, which Arngeir returned with a softer one of his own.

"It is alright. But first, I need to ask. Alduin?" he asked of her and she took a deep breath. "We heard the Dragonrend shout from here….you defeated him?" Elisieya looked to the ground shamefully.

"Yes, but he escaped. I need to find his portal to Sovngarde." She mumbled. It was clear that her lack of true victory over the dragon had weighed heavily in her heart.

"I feared as much. I thought it was him we saw flying east after your battle." Arngeir told her in a soft voice, those his disappointment was not unheard on Elisieya's ears. Her spirits lowered more. Now she wasn't sure if she should even talk with him right now, but she had to.

"I need your help. I need to capture a dragon." Elisieya informed him, finally lifting her eyes slowly to Arngeir's. The look on his face was a simple one to read.

"We are not warriors. What is overlooked in the Dragonborn is not permitted to any other followers of the Way of the Voice." He reminded her. A tiny smile appeared in the corner of Elisieya's mouth.

"I'll worry about capturing the dragon. I need your help to stop this war." She stated her true intentions here finally. Arngeir was disinclined, as she had expected him to be. With such a request as her own, who would not be?

"You misunderstand our authority. The Greybeards have never involved themselves in political affairs." Was he going to try and resist this request at every turn she gave?

"Jarl Balgruuf won't help me while the war rages on, and I need Dragonsreach to capture the dragon. Arngeir, please." The woman begged of him, the desperation in her voice deciding not to hide itself. Arngeir regarded her for a long moment till he spoke flatly.

"I see. The dragon will lead you to Alduin, but without the Jarl's help…" When he didn't finish, Elisieya decided to push a little harder.

"Both sides respect the Greybeards. They _will_ listen." She assured him, even though she couldn't promise such a thing. Arngeir knew this. No man could truly control the will of another, yet he could not avoid this any longer.

"Paarthurnax has made the decision to help you. This is the road we have to walk. Even the Greybeards must bend to the winds of change, it seems." A smile returned to Elisieya's face, yet Arngeir continued. "So be it. Tell Ulfric and General Tullius the Greybeards wish to speak to them. We will see if they still remember us." Not too soon after the words left his mouth, Elisieya threw her arms around him.

"Thank you Arngeir! I swear you won't regret this." Elisieya swore before turning and quickly rushing back to the doors. She'd make it up to them. To all of them. By killing Alduin, she'd repay them all for a debate she didn't owe.

Ulfric Stormcloak was the first one Elisieya decided to see. She had been to Solitude already, but not Windhelm yet. She was ecstatic upon walking up to the large doors of the city. They might've been the biggest doors she had seen at the entry of a hold thus far. Holding her hood tighter around her face, Elisieya entered the cold, windy city which reflected most of Skyrim. As soon as she entered, she wasn't greeted to a good sight. Two men were bullying a Dark Elf woman, threatening her, calling her a spy. She didn't even need to think about her next course of actions. "Hey!" She snapped at them, causing all three heads to turn to her. Elisieya walked up to them, standing slightly between the Mer and the Nords. "You call yourself men? Please. You seem more like cowards to me. You lay a finger on her or any of the elves here, you will answer to me." She snarled. The men just grumbled at her and left. She was going to put them six feet under if she had to. Her attention returned to the Dunmer.

"What about you? Do you hate the Dark Elves too?" She asked bitterly and Elisieya raised a curious eyebrow. Did she not just see her defend her?

"No. I don't hate your people." Elisieya answered firmly, only causing the woman to hiss more.

"Then you've come to the wrong city." That was the last thing the Mer said before she walked off. What the hell? She just helped her, and now she was getting the butt end of her anger? This is why Elisieya honestly hated helping people. Yet, she did so each time without fail nor hesitation. Shaking her head, Elisieya resumed her trek through the old city and to the Palace of Kings. This place was simply beautiful. It had to be her favorite hold in all of Skyrim. She loved the snow, the old architecture, the atmosphere of age, and the layout was very easy to navigate through. Well, for her anyway. Despite wanting to see the whole city, Elisieya had a job to do. Pushing open the doors to the Palace of Kings, she heard the men before she saw them.

"Balgruuf hasn't given us a straight answer." A deep, raspy voice spoke. The voice that answered next caused her to pause. She had heard it before. Oh, right, Helgen. That must've been it. Deep down, she knew there was more to it, but Elisieya refused to go that far into herself, knowing what she would find if she did.

"He's a true Nord, he'll come around." Ulfric Stormcloak, the Jarl of Windhelm answered, the voices coming from a room to her left. Elisieya was about to enter when a man she guessed was the steward stopped her.

"Do not enter there. If you need to speak to the Jarl, you'll have to wait." He told her and guided her to the long table in the center of the Great Hall. A pout found its way to her features, but she obeyed and sat, waiting for Jarl Ulfric to finish so she could give him the Greybeards' message.

"Don't be so sure of that. We've intercepted couriers from Solitude. The Empire is putting a great deal of pressure on Whiterun." The raspy voice spoke again.

"And what would you have me do?" Ulfric responded. The answer that came made Elisieya stiffen in worry about her friend, Balgruuf.

"If he is not with us, he is against us." Ulfric wasted no time speaking back. For an unknown reason, his voice calmed Elisieya. Even went as far as to soothe her.

"He knows that. They all know that." The raspy man wasn't finished.

"How long are you going to wait?"

"You think I need to send Balgruuf a stronger message?" It was meant to be a question, but it sounded more like a statement to Elisieya.

"If by message you mean shoving a sword through his gullet." A protective growl came from the 5'4" Nord.

"Taking his city and leaving him in disgrace would make a more powerful statement. Don't you think?" Ulfric asked. Well, at least it wasn't as bad as killing him, but it was still bad in Elisieya's opinion.

"So you're ready to start this war in earnest then?" Raspy man pressed.

"Soon." That was the only answer given and raspy man didn't seem to like it.

"I still say you should take them all out like you did dead King Torygg." Didn't he shout at him?

"Torygg was merely a message to the other Jarls. Whoever we replace them with will need the support of our armies." Smart. Ulfric Stormcloak was very smart. Finally, Elisieya was granted a glimpse of the two men as they began to slowly walk from the room, their conversation continuing.

"We are ready when you are." Raspy man told him. He wore a strange outfit that looked as if it was made from a bear. The hat sealed that train of thought to truth.

"Things hinge on Whiterun. If we can take the city without bloodshed, all the better. But if not…"

"The people are behind you." Bear suit man spoke confidently. Ulfric didn't seem convinced.

"Many, I fear, still need convincing." He sighed heavily, as if a great weight had been placed on his shoulders. It most likely had, seeing as Elisieya knew what he was fighting against.

"Then let them die with their false kings." Raspy, bear man growled. Did this man have no regard nor guilt for the gravity his words would truly bring? Ulfric was quiet before he moved to a window close to his throne.

"We've been soldiers a long time. We know the price of freedom, but people are still weighing things in their hearts."

"What's left of Skyrim to wager?" Ulfric spoke Elisieya's thoughts.

"They have families to think of." He spoke as if he knew that particular pain of thinking of his family, or the price needed to be paid.

"How many of their sons and daughters follow your banner?" The man Elisieya was beginning to like less and less asked of his Jarl. "We are their families." Well, there was one redeeming quality of this man.

"Well put, friend." Ulfric hummed before falling quiet for a time as he walked to his throne. He did not sit in it, but looked down at it. "Tell me Galmar, why do you fight for me?" Elisieya tensed up, yet tried to act like she wasn't eavesdropping. It sounded as if things were taking a personal turn for the two men.

"I'd follow you into the depths of Oblivion." Galmar responded. He was loyal. That was good, she guessed. "You know that."

"Yes, but, _why_ do you fight?" Ulfric pressed, seemingly unsatisfied with Galmar's earlier answer. "If not for me, what then?" Finally, Ulfric turned away from his throne to gaze down at his friend.

"I'll die before elves dictate the fates of men. Are we not one in this?" Galmar growled. The statement seemed deeply personal. To both, as Elisieya heard Ulfric's breathing stop for a moment only to start again a bit quicker. There was something in that statement. Something unsaid, but heard by only the two men before Elisieya. Something, she felt like she didn't want to know. She did know of what the Thalmor did to Ulfric while he was captured by them during the Great War. She had read the entire journal. But this seemed different. Something seemed to crack in Ulfric as his voice grew and he stood rigid.

"I fight for the men I've held in my arms, dying on foreign soil. I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breaths. I _fight_ for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of STRANGERS with FAMILIAR FACES!" His volume was growing and Elisieya was captivated by the passion and deep emotions she felt from his words. She was unable to tear her eyes from the Rebellion Leader as he continued, her heart speeding up. "I fight for my people, impoverished to pay the debts of an Empire too weak to rule them. Yet brands them criminals for wanting to rule themselves!" Ulfric paused briefly, seeming to collect himself. "I fight so that all the fighting I have already done hasn't been for nothing. I fight….because I must." A shiver ran through Elisieya's spine as she heard, no, felt the truth in his words. It stirred something in her. Something that would not be settled for months to come.

"Your voice give words to what we all feel, Ulfric. And that's why you will be High King." Galmar spoke proudly, no hint of unsurity in his voice. Elisieya found herself agreeing with bear man. Ulfric was someone she would want governing her and her homeland. "But the day words are enough, would be the day when soldiers like us are no longer needed." Ulfric sat in his throne and looked to his friend, a sad smile on his face.

"I would gladly retire from the world, were such a day to dawn." He spoke softly, much softer than Elisieya had heard the Jarl speak before.

"Aye. But in the meantime, we have a war to plan." Galmar reminded Ulfric, causing Elisieya to tear her eyes from the Jarl on his throne and to him. Once Ulfric nodded and Galmar headed back towards the room they just left, did Elisieya stand from the table and approach Ulfric slowly. Ulfric turned his attention to her, his brow furrowed.

"Only the foolish or the courageous approach a Jarl without summons….." He trailed off as Elisieya reached up and removed her hood to make sure her appearance was unhindered and her bravery was seen on her features. Ulfric stared at her deeply for a time, as if trying to place her face. "Do I know you?" Elisieya smirked a bit at him.

"I believe we have already met." She answered simply. Something flashed across Ulfric's face and Elisieya couldn't place it, because it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

"Is that so? Ah yes. You were with us at Helgen." Even as he said this, Elisieya could just feel that there was more to his words than he was letting on. But she had delayed too long already. "Destined for the chopping block if I'm not mistaken." Elisieya stiffened some, yet refused to remove her locked gaze from his own.

"That was…..a misunderstanding." She spoke vaguely. Only she knew what she had really done to end up there, and she was not about to let anyone else know it. "I helped Ralof escape. He said he'd vouch for me." The name caused Ulfric to look to her in surprise.

"Ralof's alive? I hope that's true. He's a damn good man." He stated and Elisieya chuckled, nodding in agreement. "But he hasn't returned yet, so I'll need to wait for his account. For now, speak with Galmar. I'm always looking for able fighters. Not everyone can say they made it out of Helgen. Seems we're all branded villains these days…" He nearly groaned, but kept on topic. "So long as your criminal past stays in the past, and you fight for me with honor and integrity, we'll welcome you into our ranks." Elisieya held back the urge to snap at him. No one knew what happened and if he did, he wouldn't have said as he said. The didn't understand. They _couldn't_ understand what she had to do. For now, Elisieya took a deep breath through her nose.

"That is not why I am here, though I am deeply honored by your offer." She spoke evenly and with a regal voice of her own. Ulfric smiled a bit, feeling the aura from the woman before him. She was a natural leader, he could feel it. "I have a message from the Greybeards." This got a reaction from Ulfric that she wasn't fully expecting.

"It's about time they turned their gaze from the heavens, back to our bleeding homeland. What do they want?" Jarl Ulfric interrogated. Elisieya pursed her lips, not really liking his comment about her mentors.

"They want to negotiate a truce until the dragon menace is dealt with." Elisieya relayed the information, her posture tall and proud. Ulfric stared, as if not believing her words for a moment.

"I have the greatest respect for the Greybeards, of course. And the dragon attacks are a growing plague." He stared. Elisieya could feel a but coming on. "But.." There it was. "...the political situation is still delicate. Not all the Jarls are fully committed to supporting me as High King. I can't afford to appear weak. I can't agree to this unless Tullius himself will be there." Oh you have got to be kidding her! Seriously?! That's what he was worried about more over dragons?! Was everyone blind to what was really going on?!

"Politics be damned!" Elisieya snapped, surprising the Jarl by her outburst. "Alduin has returned!" That sobered him up rather quickly.

"Alduin? The World-Eater of song and legend?" His reaction was similar to Balgruuf's, even his following remarks. "If that's true, then we're all dead anyway. And if it isn't true, well, then the fight to free Skyrim goes on." Elisieya held a look that was clearly asking if he was serious. "Either way, I don't see the use of talking to the Empire." Ulfric continued. A stubborn Nord through and through. But Elisieya was just as stubborn.

"What kind of talk is that? I thought you were a Nord! And as Nords, if we go down, we go down fighting." She growled. Ulfric was silent as he sized her up before a smile rested on his lips, catching Elisieya off guard.

"You are right in that matter. Though I am still unsure about this whole thing." He admitted to her and she sighed heavily. This was like dealing with toddlers who wouldn't talk to one another because one took the other's toys. Honestly, men!

"Tullius is the one who will look weak if he refuses, not you" She stated firmly, assuring the headstrong Jarl of her resolve and deciding to play on his ego a bit.

"You're right." Ulfric agreed, moving his hand to rub the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Let Tullius be the one to insult the Greybeards by refusing their summons, show up these Imperials for the foreigners they really are." Elisieya couldn't disagree with that strategy, yet his answer was still unclear.

"So, you'll come to the peace council then?" She questioned a bit hesitantly, not sure how the Jarl would react to her repeat of statements and questions. He did not seem annoyed, though.

"Yes. I'll come. I'll give Tullius one last chance to leave Skyrim with his tail between his legs." Ulfric Stormcloak spoke with a smirk on his face that Elisieya couldn't help but return.

"Well then, Jarl Ulfric, I'll be seeing you at High Hrothgar." Elisieya mused, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword lazily. She gave him the same goodbye she had given Balgruuf, her left arm crossing her chest with her hand closed into a fist. Ulfric smiled and returned the gesture a bit more respectfully than Balgruuf had, as if it really meant something to him. With the goodbyes given, Elisieya turned from the Jarl and walked out of the Palace of Kings with a new mindset. Skyrim was her land, and she was going to keep it that way.


	4. Chapter Three-Or Imperial

***sighs and wipes brows* Man, four chapters in two days. I haven't written this much...ever. I'm pretty sure I don't need to put up any warnings. It's Skyrim, meaning there will be bad language, blood and gore, and maybe even some sexual references. I will disclaim though. I don't own the game or anything in it other than my character, Elisieya. Enjoy chapter three!**

In Skyrim, if one had the willpower, they could manage a distance like Windhelm to Solitude in two days if they just traveled and slept. And that's just what Elisieya did. Though, despite her early rising and late rests, it took two and a half, nearly three days to get to Solitude and even then, she arrived in the dead of night. The Dragonborn was exhausted. She was carrying a lot after all. Heavy armour alone is...well...heavy. Hints the name. She had decided to use her magics and fast travel this go around. She had been to Solitude before, so she knew where it was and what it looked like. Those were the main factors needed for one to fast travel effectively Even so, fast traveling takes a lot of energy from the person who uses said spell. Elisieya did it twice, practically one right after the other. Reason being, she had a very good judge of time and she was not going to skip out on precious sleeping just to get to place almost immediately and be even worse drained than before. Thus why it took practically three days for her to arrive in the capital of Skyrim. Regardless of the late hour, Solitude was still a busy city and was lit up rather softly. Don't get Elisieya wrong, she did love the hold. But really only in the day time. The lights around the town tended to obscure the stars. Now standing at the entrance to the city with bags under her eyes, Elisieya looked between Castle Dour and the Winking Skeever, deciding which she wanted to do first. To be honest, she just wanted to get this whole thing over with and run back to her home in Whiterun before she went to the peace council. She didn't want to go alone to a room full of the most powerful people in all of Skyrim for obvious reasons. She would need Lydia, her housecarl, on this one. The only reason Lydia wasn't with her now was because Elisieya did not want her to come to the battle with Alduin. She wasn't going to lose someone else she called friend if she could help it. And that time, she could. Elisieya did hate being alone though and right now, she was reminded why. Upon the fact that her mind had pictured herself in a nice warm bed, her decision became unshakeable and she found her feet carrying her through the door of the Winking Skeever. Smiling to the bar-keep and paying for her room, Elisieya found herself alone once again in the little room of the inn. Closing the door and locking it, she moved to set her stuff down beside the bed. In this knapsack of her things included a few small weapons like her Skyforge steel dagger, _several_ potions, and many miscellaneous items she had picked up along the way. She only had one quiver, but had it absolutely stuffed with different kinds of arrows. She found that doing this saved space and made fighting with her bow a lot more convenient. Once all her weapons and everything was put safely away, Elisieya worked off her Blades armour, leaving her in a miner's shirt and breeches. Shaking her hair loose from their tie, she ran her fingers through her locks, ruffling them some to relax her scalp. Say what you would about long hair, but having it up for a long period of time tensed up and made the scalp rather sore. Slowly, she stalked to the washbasin in the corner of the room with a mirror that hung above it. Wetting the towel provided, Elisieya began to wash off her face from all the dirt and dried blood of a bear she had to kill before she arrived in the hold. Feeling refreshed that way, she took a moment to stare at herself in the mirror. She should've been used to her appearance by now, but sometimes it still surprised her. She was not as pale as she used to be, being out in the sun so often and for so long for several days at a time. That being said, her hair was still strawberry blonde, but now it was a bit darker and more on the red side. It was also much longer than when she first got here. While it did get in the way often, it was good for keeping her neck, ears and head warm when in the snow and kept the sun off those very parts as well. Her honey eyes...well...they were much different. In fact, the seemed to be taking on a golden hue, much like the dragons whom she fought and whose souls she absorbed. It was more of a yellow-gold color now instead of the old honey. That was pretty cool, she supposed. What always caught her attention was the long, bright red scar that ran across her left cheek to her nose. It was a gift. A special gift given to her by a man she had trusted and was literally stabbed in the back by. Mercer Frey, former leader of the Thieves Guild and Nightingale, and a friend. Or at least he was to her. Apparently she had just been a nuisance to him that he was eager to get rid off. This scar, the one visible for everyone to see, came from her final battle with him. It was personal to her. She trusted him, and he hurt her, physically and emotionally. He made sure she'd never forget his betrayal, even if it was indirectly. She growled at herself, though it was more directed to the memory of Mercer. Just for tonight, just this one moment, Elisieya did not use her self control. In the blink of an eye, her fist collided with the mirror, effectively shattering and embedding pieces of reflective glass in her hand. Elisieya didn't look to her hand. She kept her gaze on the now many images of herself in the fractured glass. If anything, this just made her feel worse. It was as if she was outnumbered by herself, each image taking one of the souls she had taken from dragons to attack her. She turned away, looking to her hand with no expression, but a quiet sigh for a reaction to the wounds. Plopping down onto the bed, the Dragonborn began to long and boring task of picking the shards from her flesh. Using the same towel she used to clean her face with, Elisieya cleaned the blood from her hand then promptly threw the towel to the other side of the room. She laid herself out fully on the bed, pulling the furs up around her body. She stared at the ceiling above her, having been so tired that she actually couldn't sleep. Laying still in that position for a few minutes longer, Elisieya finally decided to turn on her side, her back to the door, and shut her eyes. Slowly, taking what seemed like hours, Elisieya's mind closed down and she fell into the world of dreams.

 _Fog. That was all she could really see right now. A heavy, grey fog that covered everything. Where was she? Or better yet, where was she going? The ground below her swayed and rocked. No. Not ground. A boat. She was on a ship. Why? Slowly, some structures began to break through the thick fog. She wasn't sure how, but she knew where she was. Suddenly, the scene shifted to a walkway with large arches that looked like they had teeth on them, but upon closer inspection, Elisieya realized they were books. The sky was green and the water around her was black. Something told her, though, that this was not water. Suddenly, a deep voice cut through to her ear drums. A voice that was all too familiar. "This is -, where all knowledge is hoarded." The name was silent on her ears. She didn't catch it. She wanted to call out to the haunting voice, ask what he said when a chill ran up her spine. She turned quickly and the scene was different once again._

 _Bolts of lightening hit her square in the chest and she fell to her hands and knees, gasping in pain. Another voice spoke, but it was not the same one as before. It was slightly accented and hearing it caused Elisieya's blood to boil under skin and her soul to cry out in anger, fear, disgust, longing, and many other conflicting emotions. "Ah, you are Dragonborn. I can feel it." The last four words caused her eyes to widen and she lifted her head in attempts to see who owned that deep, foreboding voice that created such a large, emotional reaction from her. As soon as she lifted her head-_

Elisieya's eyes shot open and she gripped the edge of the bed frame tightly, her body stiff and tense as the voice from her dream seemed to carry out into the real world for a brief time. _"I will always find you."_ The dark statement caused a surge of terror to charge up into Elisieya's chest and squeeze her heart. It was just a nightmare. Only a nightmare. It wasn't real. She repeated this to herself to calm her speeding heart back down to a normal, safer speed. Once her body was calmed enough, she slowly rose from her bed, panting some as if she had been running. A cold sweat covered her forehead and shoulders, messing up her already unruly hair. She sat there for a time before leaning forward to put her head in her hands and calm more. When she did this, she only received more panic as a pain came from her chest. Pulling the front of her shirt aside, Elisieya stared in horror at a burn mark that was slowly vanishing before her eyes. That was the same spot where-no. It was just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream. Rather quickly, Elisieya redressed in her armour, gathered her things, and was out the door of the inn in less than twenty minutes. The sun was beginning to rise over the mountains, making it around 6:30 to 7 o'clock in the morning. Being out in the open air did help relax Elisieya's overactive nerves to the point where she could focus on her mission. Forcing the dream to the back of her mind, she turned and began her brisk walk to Castle Dour.

Being inside Castle Dour created a whole new atmosphere than what was outside. In here, it felt anxious, frustrating, serious, and bleak. Turning her head side to side, Elisieya took in her surroundings as voice were carried to her ears. Much like back at the Palace of Kings, General Tullius was busy talking with a woman she did not know and it was the same subject as it had been with the Stormcloaks, which was just creepy.

"I'm telling you, Ulfric is planning an attack on Whiterun." The woman urged the General, who paced back and forth in front of the table that held a map of Skyrim with red and blue battle flags all along it.

"He'd be insane to try. He doesn't have the men." General Tullius responded. It was clear the two didn't have all their facts straight.

"That's not what my scouts report, sir. Every day more join his cause. Riften, Dawnstar, and Winterhold all support him." The woman reported. As Elisieya stood there, listening and taking in information, a guard leaned over to her.

"You look lost friend." He stated and she turned to him. Not even bothering to introduce herself, Elisieya questioned him. The less who knew who she was, the better.

"Who's that woman General Tullius is speaking with?" She asked, her brows furrowed. If the guard didn't have a helmet covering his face, she believed he would have an expression very similar to her own.

"That is Legate Rikke. She works closely with the General as his mission coordinator, sort of anyway. She is his right hand woman and is in charge of the new recruits. If you are here to join the Legion, that is who you speak to." He told her before walking off with a slight shake of his head. Elisieya rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the guard before tuning back into the conversation between the two Imperial soldiers.

"Balgruuf refuses the Legion's right to garrison troops in his city. On the other hand, he also refuses to acknowledge Ulfric's claim." Rikke stated as she leaned on the table, peering down at the map below her fingers.

"Well, if he wants to stand outside the protection of the Empire, then fine. Let Ulfric pillage his city." Tullius spoke simply, almost as if he were bored with the conversation. Elisieya's brows creased once more as she stared at the two. Ulfric wasn't like that. They didn't know him. She didn't either, but that was beside the point. Rikke also seemed bothered by this as she leaned back some, standing straight.

"General." She called pointedly in the similar way a mother calls their child's name when they are about to get into trouble. Tullius didn't seem to care.

"You people and your damn Jarls." You people? Damn Jarls? Wasn't he supposed to be protecting the citizens of Skyrim, not putting them down like this? Heat rushed to Elisieya's cheeks as her anger grew.

"Sir." Rikke nearly snapped. How could fellow Nords support this man and this Empire?! They clearly didn't care. Elisieya could tell that by just how General Tullius spoke about them. "You can't force a Nord to accept help he hasn't asked for." Rikke continued. Elisieya very much agreed with that statement. Nords were, by nature, a stubborn and proud race. Tullius seemed to grow more annoyed.

"If Ulfric is making a move for Whiterun, then we need to be there to stop him." He declared pointedly to Rikke. "Draft another letter with the usual platitudes, but this time share some of your intelligence regarding Ulfric's plans. Embellish if you have to. We'll let it seem like it's his idea." Woah, woah, woah. Embellish?! Exaggerate the letter?! How low were these Imperials? Divines damn them to Oblivion. Elisieya turned her gaze to Rikke, hoping the woman would speak against this. It was just plain dishonorable. All she got from her was compliance.

"Yes, sir." Rikke saluted before moving to a quill and ink pot to begin writing the lie letter. General Tullius just had to keep going though and make matters worse for him.

"You Nords and your bloody sense of honor." He grumbled and Elisieya actually let out a growl at the military general. This resulted in the two looking to her as she glared hard at the General, who seemed very unaffected by the look. He got them often. And he wonders why? "I remember you. You were at Helgen." He spoke to Elisieya, whose glare never let up. "Speak to Legate Rikke. I suspect we could use someone like you." The audacity! After all he had just said about Elisieya's kin, he believed she'd actually….wow. He really sucked as a military leader.

"I'm not here for that." Elisieya spoke flatly, not hint of respect that she held when she spoke to Ulfric.

"I see." Tullius's remark was short and simple. "Then there's nothing further to discuss." Once again, Elisieya found herself needing to control her urge to just deck a stupid human in the face.

"There actually is, General Tullius." She nearly spat. Tullius's' brows creased in growing annoyance from the Nordic woman's tone and blatant rudeness. "I have a message from the Greybeards." This caught the attention of the Legate as well.

"The Greybeards?" The General asked. Uh, yeah. That's what she just said. "What do those old hermits want with me?" Old hermits? He really needed to start showing some respect to Nordic traditions or even his own troops might start turning on him. Elisieya kept these thoughts to herself.

"They're convening a peace council at High Hrothgar." Elisieya didn't get to finish her explanation.

"Why?" General Tullius probed, seeing what information he could receive this messenger girl. "There's nothing to discuss as long as that traitor Ulfric is in arms against his rightful Emperor." Dear Akatosh, please give Elisieya the patience not to simply stab the man and end this all together, right now.

"We need a truce until the dragon menace is dealt with." She stated, a heavy sigh leaving her as she spoke to give clear signs that she was running out of patience and energy for this difficult man.

"They are getting to be a problem." Tullius agreed as he lowered himself into a chair close to the table. "But I wasn't sent to Skyrim to fight dragons." Oh gods above! He isn't even fighting the dragons! She is, with no one to help her might she add! "My job is to quell this rebellion, and I intend to do just that. Dragons or no dragons." Without her consent, Elisieya's hand shot up to slap her forehead as she let out a loud, audible groan.

"As I told Balgruuf, as I told Ulfric, and as I'm telling you now, the dragons are clearly the biggest problem right now." Elisieya persisted. She was beginning to wonder why she was even talking to the Empire.

"I'll be the judge of that. Besides, all reports say that the Stormcloaks are suffering just as much as we are from these dragon attacks." Did he really just say that? All love Elisieya had gotten for the Empire by growing up in Cyrodiil was quickly fading with each moment spent with General Tullius.

"The time to negotiate is from a position of strength. Even basic foot soldiers know that." Elisieya grumbled to him.

"Fair enough. We're driving the Stormcloaks back well enough at the moment. But we're already overstretched. That's what comes from trying to win a war with a bare handful of legions. If the Emperor would just give me the reinforcements I've requested…." he trailed off. Elisieya honestly stopped caring about anything that came out of his mouth for a while now.

"So you'll come to the peace council then?" She asked, her voice dripping with indifference and annoyance. The General sighed.

"Yes, yes. Fine. I'll come to this Greybeard council." He spoke evenly, yet Elisieya could tell he wanted to groan just as much as she did.

"Good. Then my business here is done." Elisieya turned on her heels and marched out of the doors. She did not want to stay here a moment longer in fear that she might just start swinging. For her, the conflict of choosing between her motherland and the land she grew up in that had been raging ever since Ralof suggested she join the Rebellion ended in a matter of minutes. Her decision was made. Elisieya, the Dragonborn, leader of the Companions and the Thieves Guild and Arch Mage of the College of Winterhold, was now going to become a Stormcloak soldier.

The trek back to Whiterun was much quicker than Elisieya was ready for. She was still nearly fuming as she forced opened the doors to the hold. She ignored the stares from the people and guards as she marched to her home, grumbling under her breath. Slamming the door shut behind her, Elisieya heard the footsteps from upstairs rush down to the living room, signalling that Lydia was home. Said woman regarded her Thane for a moment. The two had been through much together, so she knew just what kind of mood Elisieya was in and knew what she need. "Elisieya, my Thane, want something to eat?" she asked as she watched the young adult throw herself into a chair, a rather childish pout on her face. Sometimes Lydia forgot just how young she really was. While she was twenty-four herself, Elisieya just celebrated her twentieth birthday and she had already seen and suffered so much more than even herself. She didn't answer, but simply crossed her arms over her chest and muttered under her breath. Lydia resisted the urge to chuckle as she moved to the pantry. She did. The girl was just too damn stubborn to admit she needed help. Lydia did not mind though. She had seen sides of Elisieya that she knew no one had seen, well, other than the leader of the Greybeards. Elisieya was open around her, honest and even timid. In a good mood, the girl was sarcastic, witty, sassy, funny, and over all the kind of person people wanted to be around. Lydia could hardly believe that such a woman could be so serious and at times, dark if the situation calls for it. Though she would not admit it, there were times when her Thane frightened her. But, it was times like these, that Lydia saw the child. Not the warrior. Not the Dragonborn. Just a teenager forced to grow up too fast. She approached Elisieya with a plate that held a sweet roll and a jug of milk. She held the items out to Elisieya, who looked to them then looked away again, pouting. Lydia simply kept holding the two items out, a smile on her face. It took just the smell of the sweet roll to reach Elisieya's nose for the girl to turn to her friend and take the food items carefully. She offered Lydia a small smile. Lydia sat in the chair across from her Thane, a warmer smile on her face. "So, want to talk about it or would you like me to leave you alone to sulk some more?" Lydia asked playfully, causing a bigger smile that Elisieya tried to fight grew. She took a bite out of the sweet roll and relaxed further once the food was passed her lips. She chewed her bite before she spoke.

"I had to call a peace council between the Stormcloaks and the Imperials." She informed her Housecarl, who looked genuinely surprised.

"Really? And how did that go? I'm guessing not so good." A groan of frustration and defeat was Elisieya's first response.

"Ulfric wasn't the problem. I spoke to him with ease and he wasn't too quick to agree, but he eventually did and was respectful about it. General Tullius on the other hand…" Her face twisted in anger once more as she recapitulated what the Imperial had said about their people. Lydia was honestly shocked, and even a bit upset, but she had better emotional control than the teen before her.

"Well then, I can completely understand your anger." Lydia validated Elisieya's emotions. That was one of the best ways to communicate with a teen. Validate their opinions and feelings. Elisieya sighed heavily, feeling much better now that she had nearly finished her sweet roll and milk, and now that she had gotten it off her chest.

"I just don't understand, Lydia. This world is so grey, yet they act as if it is simply black and white sometimes. They are supposed to be the adults, yet I feel as if I'm dealing with children." Elisieya explained as she set her plate and jug aside now. Her eyes closed and she bore an expression of sorrow, and loneliness as she clasped her hands together. "Sometimes I wish I never came to Skyrim." She mumbled cheerlessly. Lydia looked down at the younger with sympathy before she stood and approached her. She knelt before her friend and gently lifted her chin.

"Hey, think about all the good you have done while you've been here. It's only been a year and you've already helped more people than even their protectors have. Even now, you're giving all you are to help and protect them. You are a hero, Elisieya, and without you, there would be no hope. Only terror and sorrow." She spoke softly and affectionately to her younger sister figure. Elisieya smiled at Lydia, her eyes watering some as she hugged her close.

"You're my best friend, Lydia." she whimpered faintly. Lydia returned the embrace and comforted her little sister.

"And you are mine." She whispered back to her. After a few soothing minutes, Elisieya pulled away and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Lydia, will you come with me to the peace council? I don't want to go alone." she asked, her voice barely loud enough to be considered a whisper. Lydia smiled still and nodded as she reached over to smoothe out her hair.

"Of course I will. Now come on, let's gather some things and we can head out." She encouraged and stood. Elisieya smiled more and stood with her, moving to start packing as well.

The two women arrived at High Hrothgar pretty late at night. Luckily, Arngeir was still awake to greet them.

"Welcome back Dragonborn, and you, Lydia." Arngeir greeted, smiling and bowing respectfully to the two of them. Elisieya and Lydia returned the bow.

"Thank you, Master Arngeir. Tell me, has anyone arrived yet?" Elisieya asked as the Greybeard began to lead the two women to where they would stay for the night. A simple nod came before his words.

"Yes, Jarl Ulfric and his right hand arrived a few hours before you did. General Tullius has sent a message saying he was delayed, but will certainly be appearing." Arngeir informed the Dragonborn. Elisieya could hear the discomfort in the old man's voice.

"Don't worry Arngeir. They won't be here for long. All we need is a truce for a short time and then they will leave. I can assure you that." She spoke softly, hoping to ease the elder's mind. Her words did earn a smile.

"I trust in your wisdom, Dragonborn. Here. This is where you two shall be staying. Jarl Ulfric and Galmar and further down for obvious reasons." He stated, making Elisieya roll her eyes.

"I seriously you need to separate boys and girls, Arngeir." She grumbled and the older man shrugged.

"One can never be too careful." His response was simple. He gave another bow and took leave of them so they could unpack some and get comfortable. Elisieya was still rather restless, yet Lydia wished to rest. Assuring her that she would be fine, Elisieya left the room to wonder for a bit. High Hrothgar wasn't as big as people may have believed, so she had went through every hallway rather quickly. Still not finding rest for her troubled mind, Elisieya made her way to the courtyard where she had learned two new shouts and trained some with her masters. Upon exiting the monastery, Elisieya stopped in her tracks as the Jarl of Windhelm turned to look at the newcomer.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." she apologized, holding up her hands quickly. Ulfric smiled at her some.

"It is alright. You did not intrude." He assured the young woman. She was a rather interesting character, this Dragonborn. Thinking on this, Ulfric realized he didn't even know her name. This woman, who looked so familiar, like a face one sees passing on the streets and doesn't see again for a long time. How did he feel like he knew her? Elisieya shuffled nervously as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"Oh…..I'll just...go then." She spoke, unsure of what to say. She turned to head back inside when Ulfric called to her.

"Wait a moment, Dragonborn. Would you humor an aging man and sit with me for a while?" Ulfric asked. Elisieya looked over her shoulder to the Jarl in curiosity before smiling and nodding some. The Dragonborn walked next to the Jarl and looked up at him as he looked to the sky. He caught her staring and looked back to her, smiling some. Elisieya blushed at the awkwardness of herself.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to stare. I...I just.." she trailed off, looking to the snow, not sure if it would be okay to ask. Ulfric sensed this and he guided them both to a bench.

"You have questions, and so do I. How about we trade evenly? You ask a question. I ask a question, and so on." Ulfric suggested, earning a nod from the Dragonborn. "Would you like to start?" He asked and Elisieya nodded.

"Is it true...that you have the Voice?" Elisieya asked earnestly and Ulfric smiled in understanding. Being the only Dragonborn, it must have felt rather lonely for her.

"I do. As a young boy, I was chosen to follow the Way of the Voice. It took over a decade for me to learn what you have learned in a matter of days." He informed her, sounding rather amused. Elisieya was satisfied with this answer, but blushed at the compliment. Now it was Ulfric's turn to ask. "What is your name, Dragonborn?" The rather simple question caught her by surprise, but Elisieya looked up to him.

"Elisieya." She answered, not noticing how Ulfric stiffened for barely a second. Though by the look on his face, she knew he was waiting for an answer she didn't have herself. "I don't know my last name. I was raised by a caretaker. If she knew my surname, she never told me." The news seemed to trouble Ulfric some as more and more questions entered his mind. Though, like he promised, he waited his turn. "They say you shouted High King Torygg to death, but others say you fought him in fair combat. Which is true?" She questioned. Ah, yes. This was a question Ulfric was no stranger to.

"Both are true." He stated simply. Seeing the confusion on her face, Ulfric elaborated. "I did challenge Torygg to fight me as traditional Nords do, in the old way to show how weak the Empire truly was. He accepted my challenge and we fought. I shouted him to the ground, and ran my blade through his heart. Yet, General Tullius seems hell-bent on saying I shouted him to pieces and that it wasn't a fair fight. I told Torygg that we would fight in the old way, which allows for the using of the Voice. He accepted, knowing that fact rather well. While it may not have been an even fight, it was fair and he died an honorable death. I have no doubts that his soul rests in Sovngarde." Ulfric sighed deeply. This was a fact that continued to fuel this conflict. If all of Skyrim knew the truth, there would be no question that Ulfric was the true High King. Yet it was surrounded with controversy and divided the people further. Realizing it was his turn to ask, Ulfric left his thoughts to return his attention back to Elisieya. Elisieya. A name he knew too well, but it was just a coincidence. After all, he knew the truth. "Did your caretaker ever tell you what happened to your parents, if she knew?" Elisieya looked away from Ulfric and to the landscape before her.

"Yes, she did. She told me my father was a Nordic soldier in the Great War, but was killed by the Thalmor later. My father met my mother on the front. When the war was over, he spent as much of his time with her as he could. She was murdered just after my father was killed." She told her story to him, her heart growing heavy. Ulfric understood her pain. Respectfully, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I understand your pain, Elisieya. I, too, lost my family." He whispered to her. Her look of confusion and hesitant curiosity counted as her question, since he knew what she wanted to ask. "I had a father, like anyone else. He was the Jarl before me. He died before I returned from Markarth…..and I had a wife and a child." This confession shocked Elisieya and she sat up more, listening intently to his story. "She was a woman I loved more than life itself. I used to call her a Nord in an Imperial's body. There was a fire in her unlike any other I had seen before. As often as I could, I would spend time with her. I learned of her past, and she learned of mine. Even when she found out I was the son of a Jarl, she did not change how she talked to me. It was as if she saw us as equals, but she was far greater than I." Ulfric paused to force back memories of his Eristia. "Close to the end of the….Markarth Incident, Eistia and I wed in secret. After all, I was an occupying force, marrying a native. One can easily see that she could've been used against me and put her in danger. We were allowed to meet occasionally, but mainly in secret and within the depth of the palace I stayed in while there. Eventually, I trusted in the Empire to take over the care of Markarth, but they went back on their word and threw me and my men in prison. While there, I wrote her everyday. It was about two months after I was jailed that Eristia informed me that she had gone to see a healer due to her constant illness, finding out that she was with child. I was beyond delighted, yet I was not allowed to leave for obvious reasons. I even had to smuggle my father's eulogy out in a letter to have it given to my people. By the time I could see her again, she had bore our child, our daughter. Do you know what we named her?" Ulfric asked the ecstatic Dragonborn, who was hanging onto his every word like a child did when hearing an exciting story. The woman shook her head and Ulfric's smile turned sad. "Elisiya. We named her Elisiya, after the King of Old." The news shocked Elisieya. No, it dumbfounded her. No way. That was cool and yet weird at the same time. When Ulfric didn't speak for a long time, Elisieya decided to encourage him to continue.

"What happened to them?" This question resulted in Ulfric stiffening, anger swirling in his chest.

"They were murdered." He stated unequivocally, keeping his voice even and stolid. Elisieya's brows creased and she moved a bit closer to him. She placed her hands over his to offer some form of comfort. Ulfric was grateful for this. "Elisiya was a year old. She had just been learning to walk and say her first words. Her hair was getting thicker, showing it's blonde color and her eyes had become a bright shade of hazel, like her mother's. She would waddle to me with the brightest smile on her face and would play with my hair when I held her up. She called me daddy many times, as it was the first word she fully learned." Elisieya was honestly amazed that Ulfric had not begun crying. If this were her, she would be bawling by now. In fact, her eyes were watering a bit now as well. "It happened while I was finding a way to escort them both to Windhelm safely. Somehow, the Thalmor knew. They always know." He growled lowly as the memories resurfaced despite his best efforts. "I found out about it when I went to the halfway point to meet them and take the the rest of the way, only to find the safe house burned to the ground with the bodies of my wife and daughter charred inside. Even my soldiers weren't spared." The only one whose bodies he did not find was that of Eristia's friend and her child. The Jarl told of his most painful history to the young girl who should not have seen as much horrors as he knew she had already. She understood his pain, and she shouldn't. She was young. Too young. "How old are you?" he asked solemnly, looking to the Dovahkiin. The sudden change of topic was a surprise, and yet not at the same time. Elisieya figured Ulfric wanted to move on from this.

"I just recently turned twenty." She informed him and Ulfric stared at her for a long time, his brows slowly furrowing together.

"When were you born?" He asked another question, surprising Elisieya even further.

"The 16th of Heartfire, 181. Why? Jarl Ulfric?" Elisieya asked of the now silent rebellion leader. He suddenly began to chuckle some, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry if I worried you, Elisieya. Just wondering thoughts." The elder man assured her. Elisieya relaxed some and huffed.

"Don't freak me out like that again." She ordered playfully and Ulfric smiled, resting his palm on her head in response. He laughed as Elisieya let out a whine as he lightly pushed her head away. The two laughed together, enjoying one another's company. It was easy to be joyful around Elisieya. Her smile and laugh were infectious, and the confident, bright air about her lifted the mood when needed.

"Do you have any more questions?" Ulfric asked and Elisieya raised her finger to her lips, tapping them in thought. She then just shrugged before asking this rather hesitant, and personal question.

"Could you….possibly tell me more about….your family…..if it's okay with you?" She asked of the fearless, and strong rebellion leader. Ulfric raised his hand as he shook his head some.

"It is no trouble. Sometimes it is nice to talk of them. To remember." The Jarl whispered before beginning. "Well, Elisiya would be around your age now. I hope she would've been like you. She was a wild thing. I recall many times, as soon as she was set down, she would bolt away from her mother and myself when she first learned to walk. She loved exploring the outside. Following butterflies, torch bugs, leaves, you name it. If it flew by, she followed it. She especially loved to watch and follow the birds above her, as if imagining she were flying with them. Many times she would run into something, or trip and begin to cry. And each time, without fail, I would pick her up and cradle her to my chest and tell her how one day, she would get to move through the sky with the birds, free and light." Ulfric paused, a smile on his face as he gazed into the distance. He was clearly replaying the memory in his mind. "At night, she refused to sleep unless her mother gave her a bottle of warm milk as well as had her stuffed bear, a story, then song. I was never much of a singer, yet when Eristia and I would sing to her, she would act as if it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Only then would she close her eyes and sleep." Ulfric paused again, but only because Elisieya spoke as well.

"My caretaker would do the same for me, though I didn't have a stuffed bear. I had a blanket she made me that I would cling to each night while I had my milk and she read to me or sang, depending on the night. She would then tuck me in and tell me that the gods were watching over me with my parents by their side." The Dragonborn held a look similar to the one the Ulfric had earlier. Ulfric Stormcloak smiled gently at the girl before standing.

"Speaking of sleeping, we should rest if we are to have any luck talking sense into those….Imperial dogs." He nearly grunted out and Elisieya huffed in annoyance, standing as well.

"I don't think I can handle another minute with Tullius." She admitted, earning a chuckle and a hand on her shoulder from the Jarl.

"Understandable. Come, you are the one who needs your rest the most out of all of us." Ulfric instructed as he guided the woman inside the monastery once more. He walked her to her room, seeing as his own was also on the way.

"Goodnight, Jarl Ulfric, and don't worry. Everything we spoke about, remains between us." Elisieya promised and Ulfric gave her a grateful nod. He turned to start heading off as his thoughts returned to their conversation and one question he failed to remember to ask till now. He turned quickly once more to Elisieya's room.

"Elisieya, wait. I had one last question." Ulfric asked, keeping his voice quiet as to not wake anyone. She halted her movement of closing the door when she heard Ulfric speak again. She looked up to him, meeting his gaze. "Your caretaker, what was her name? I should send her a letter, thanking her for raising such a wonderful woman." The statement caused heat to rise to Elisieya's cheeks and she smiled shyly at the Jarl.

"Carlesis. Carlesis Mirous of Karthwasten."

Galmar had stayed awake, awaiting his Jarl's and friend's return. The man had been having a hard time, what with the anniversary of his family's death having just passed. A family that he could not mourn publicly, nor acknowledge like the wife and child of a Jarl should be. The sound of the door of their temporary room opening then closing altered Galmar to Ulfric's return. But, something was wrong. He watched as his long time friend moved inelastically and swiftly to his bed and rummage through his things. That was another warning sign that something was not right. Ulfric didn't rummage. He searched, but never rummaged. Whatever he had been looking for, Ulfric seemed to have found as the man grew still as he stared down at it. Slowly, he turned to Galmar, his expression stolid, void of any emotion, as he held up a small painting to him. It was one Galmar had seen many times. Why Ulfric was showing him this, he was not sure. Either way, Galmar looked to the painting, back up to Ulfric, then back to the painting. It took a moment before it registered what the Stormcloak leader was silently telling him. In the painting, with a younger looking Ulfric and a baby girl, was Elisieya. No. It was a woman who looked exactly like her. It was Eristia.


	5. Chapter Four-Truce or Truth?

**Aight guys, usual disclaimer on this one like all the others. I don't own Skyrim, the canon characters, etc, etc. Elisieya is mine though as is the oncoming plot. Keep in mind though that Elisieya is twenty years old, but right now, still has the mentality of a teenager. She'll learn very soon, though, why the world doesn't revolve around her. ;) Throwing in a Star Wars reference though. Hope you can find it! Thanks for reading! Enjoy, ladies and gents!**

 _Elisieya was on the ground again, her hands and knees shaking as she stayed crouched there In the world with the green sky and strange rock. "Take her back where she came from. She can await my arrival along with the rest of Tamriel." The same voice from the night before spoke, and once again, it stirred the strange reaction. This time, Elisieya lifted her head. She saw no details, on a figure walking away from her, only to climb onto a dragon and fly from this spot while tentacled creatures approached her._

 _A ripple moved across her vision, like someone throwing a stone in water. She was somewhere different again, yet familiar. It was a temple, an ancient one. Yet there was no weathering, no mold or decay. It was strange for the Skuldafn Temple. Skuldafn? Elisieya turned slowly at the sound of footsteps and eyes fell upon a handsome man with black hair brushed back, though if he let it down for once, it would cover his face and show a raggedness that Elisieya loved about him. His chiseled jaw was framed by a small amount of scruff, more closer to a five o'clock shadow. And his eyes. His eyes that pulled her in with each glance, piercing and a soft brown that betrayed his nature. He said something to her that she could not hear, but whatever it was, she didn't like it. She began to yell at him, though Elisieya only heard muffled voices like someone talking through walls. The man simply sighed and reached out to gently twist her long, black locks in his hands. Black? Her hair was practically red. Her eyes followed his hand and she got a glimpse of what she was wearing. A red, flowing robe with metal down the front of her torso and to her ankles, across her shoulders, and along her arms. Metal that looked like scales. A Dragon Priest's garb. Why in Oblivion was she wearing this?! Elisieya's questions went unanswered as she looked back up to the man who caused her dragon soul to cry out and claw for him. Either to kill or possess, she did not know. He stepped forward and placed a deep kiss to her lips and she felt a deep sorrow form in her chest. Slowly, Elisieya was beginning to realize this wasn't her. She was looking through the eyes of another. A Dragon Priestess, it seemed, who was in love with a fellow Dragon Priest. The man gently brushed her cheek before stepping back and pulling out a mask that looked as if it was mirrored after a fabled sea creature with twisting tentacles. The mask caused the woman Elisieya was looking through to draw back some and dread filled her as she realized the man before her cared more for knowledge and power, than she herself. She watched as the man, now masked, turned and walked away similarly to the figure from earlier. And she knew, just knew, this was the beginning of the end._

 _Again the dream shifted. Or were these even dreams? They felt too real to be so. What did that make them? Visions? Elisieya didn't get visions. She couldn't see, but she heard a female voice speak. "And when the world shall listen, and when the world shall see, and when the world remembers….that world will cease to be." Another voice began talking before the female voice was finished. It was the voice from the night before and tonight's dream. "This realm is beyond you. You have no power here. And it is only a matter of time before Solstheim is also mine." Solstheim? Also before the man could finish speaking, a woman spoke, but her voice was different from the first's. It sounded like her own. "You can save him. Save him." The voice echoed as if there were four of her talking at once. Soon, all three voices were repeating themselves, talking over one another and growing louder and louder. Elisieya covered her ears and screamed._

Elisieya's eyes were once again forced open, but this time the circumstances were different. People were towering over her, and one person had hands on her shoulders. Instincts kicking in, Elisieya lifted her arms quickly, effectively breaking the hold the person had on her. She rolled off the side of her bed, landing on the balls of her feet and her palms of her hands. Her right hand shot to her sword laying next to her things and she drew it quickly. Standing to her full height, Elisieya stared at the blurry figures, who were moving away from her with hands up. They were talking to her, but looking at them and trying to hear them was about as effective as doing so underwater. She spoke them, her voice raised and yet unfamiliar to its owner. It sounded terrified. And after the dream, or vision, she just experienced, she had a right to be. Elisieya blinked as quickly as she could, her eyes beginning to burn as if dried out. She squeezed them shut to try and get some relief, but it didn't help. She let go of her sword to press the heels of her palms against her eyelids, rubbing them vigorously. Her hearing was still gone, most likely due to the raised and haunting voices, but at least her vision was returning faster. Once she moved her hands away, Elisieya blinked several times, the fog around her eyes seeming to lift to reveal the shapes before her. They...they were her friends. Lydia, Ulfric, Arngeir, and the other Greybeards were standing before her, only one having the courage enough to step forward. Ulfric kept his hands up. Even unarmed, Elisieya was still dangerous. He spoke softly to her, his words gentle, and yet unheard by the person they were trying to soothe. Elisieya stared at him, her eyes quickly going wide as she tilted her head to the side to try and hear. She told them that she couldn't hear them, but her words were still muffled just as much as the others were. Confusion and concern were the two emotions seen through the whole group. Ulfric had moved his hands back to her shoulders, then up to cover her ears. He gently pressed on them until Elisieya winced and a ringing began to sound through them.

"Does that help?" Ulfric asked as he moved his hands away. He was still muffled, but at least she could make out what he was saying.

"A little. You're still sound like you're talking into pillows." She informed him, relief coming from just being able to hear her own voice. Ulfric pursed his lips into a fine line as he looked her over.

"This is similar to what soldiers who stand too close to explosions go through." He explained to Elisieya as well as the others. "It happens when your ears are suddenly exposed to a very large sound that they weren't ready for." Well, that made sense. That made a lot more sense than anyone before her realized. "Tinnitus, I believe it was named by healers." Elisieya looked to Ulfric while he looked to the others. They all seemed rather rugged, as if rushed. What were they all doing here anyway? She didn't get a chance to ask as Ulfric spoke again. "Do you know what could've caused this?" He asked. Elisieya became stolid.

"No." She spoke, her lie unshakably firm. Yet, Ulfric could tell, by the harden gaze in her eyes, that she was not being truthful. He would not push her, however, after what she probably just went through. "Now what are you all doing here? Why are you in this room?" she asked, growing increasingly uncomfortable from the stares as her hearing began to slowly return to her. All still seemed at a loss, but it was Arngeir who spoke.

"You called out in your sleep, Dragonborn. Some things that only the Greybeards could understand, and yet wished we hadn't." The Master of the Way of the Voice informed her, causing her heart to stop in her chest. Only they could understand? That meant….Dovah-Zul. Elisieya shook her head, pushing back how freaked she really was.

"Well, we all have bad dreams sometimes. The Dragonborn is no different. Say, what time is it anyway? Since we're all up, we should get something to eat, chat, and have a slumber party type thing." She joked, chuckling some. A few sighs and laughs came from everyone. Except Lydia. She knew her too well.

"Well, it is almost dawn and Tullius should arrive with the Imperial Delegation later today. It is good that we are all awake now, so we have more time to prepare." Arngeir suggested. The suggestion had the others leaving the room to get food, feeling relaxed now that the Dragonborn seemed to be alright. Elisieya plastered a very good fake smile to her lips as she watched them all leave. Her act was fine until she met Lydia's gaze and her smile promptly vanished. She turned away from the Whiterun native and followed after everyone else. Her message was clear. She did not and would not talk about what had caused the woman to suddenly start screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night, and most in a language said woman didn't even know.

The rest of the morning passed without any other "incidents". Elisieya could tell by the looks in the eyes of those she passed that they were walking on eggshells around her. Fine. Let them. She was in control. She was. Elisieya stood with the Greybeards as they greeted General Tullius, Legate Rikke….and Jarl Elisif, Jarl Balgruuf, and.. Elenwen! When did they invite her?! Elisieya suppressed her agitation. There was an old mantra she had read about while she waited for the Imperials to arrive. 'There is no emotion, only peace.' She kept her expression even as the Altmer and the Nord locked eyes for a time while she passed. Well, that seemed to be everyone. Just as Elisieya turned to start walking to the council room, the door to High Hrothgar opened once more. Who passed through, were the last people Elisieya expected to see here. The Dragonborn watched as Delphine, now in Blades armour, and Esbern approached the Greybeards. As if the already tense atmosphere was bad enough, it just got worse as the two groups locked eyes with one another. Delphine was the first to break the tense silence.

"So, Arngeir is it? You know why we're here. Are you going to let us in or not?" Elisieya's eyebrows were raised as she looked quickly between the two, not speaking and not moving. Talk about awkward.

"You're not invited here." Arngeir stated, the irritation in his voice not even trying to hide itself. "You're not welcome here." This didn't sit well with Delphine, obviously.

"We have as much right to be as this council as you. More, actually. Since we are the ones that put the Dragonborn on this path." The Breton argued.

"Were you?" Arngeir responded. "The hubris of the Blades truly knows no bounds." Before things could get worse, Esbern stepped forward.

"Delphine, we're not here to rehearse old grudges." He looked away from his fellow Blade and to the Greybeards as he walked forward some. "The matter at hand is urgent. Alduin must be stopped. You would not have called this council if you didn't agree." And now the Greybeards were in check. "We know a great deal about the situation, and the threat that Alduin possess to us all. You _need_ us here, if you want this council to succeed." Checkmate. Arngeir was silent as the Greybeards looked amongst each other. Finally, Arngeir spoke.

"Ahh, very well. You may enter." Now that permission was given, everyone that had been in the main hall at this point had turned to head to the council room. Elisieya straggled behind some, looking everyone over just as Lydia came up to walk beside her. Elisieya stiffened again, but neither said anything. As they reached the doorway to the room, Lydia spoke quietly.

"So, do you want to-"

"Nope." Elisieya interrupted, popping the 'p' sound some and walked a bit faster so she was no longer beside her Housecarl. Moving to her assigned seat Elisieya stood directly behind it, her eyes darting over to Elenwen. Once again, her thoughts traveled as to why she was here, but did not vocalize her discomfort. Arngeir took his spot at the head of the table, while the rest of the Greybeards moved about the room.

"Now that everyone is here, please take your seats, so we can begin." Arngeir called the meeting to order. Everyone obeyed, even Elenwen. Well, almost everyone sat. Ulfric and Galmar remained standing as they glared at Elenwen. "Now, I hope that we have all come here in the spirit of-" Arngeir didn't get to finish.

"No." Ulfric's voice boomed. "You insult us by bringing _her_ to this negotiation? Your chief Talos hunter?" He stated in almost a snapping tone.

"That didn't take long." Legate Rikke mumbled under her breath. Balgruuf had said something as well, but he was too far and too quiet for Elisieya to pick up what he said.

"Here here." Galmar agreed. Elisieya did silently as well. The Thalmor had no business at this table. But she said nothing. She was just here to keep the peace, not choose everyone's course of actions for them.

"I have every right to be at this negotiation. I need to ensure that nothing is agreed to here that violates terms of the White-Gold concordat." Elenwen stated simply, as if she was in the right.

"She is part of the Imperial delegation." General Tullius told Ulfric. Well, this all explains why he was late. "You can't dictate who I bring to this council."

"Please! If we have to negotiate the terms of the negotiation, we will never get anywhere." Arngeir interrupted both parties. He was right though. Elisieya sighed as she rested her elbow on the table before her so she could rest her temple against her hand. She wasn't looking at anyone, only listening. And she was rather uncomfortable here. She didn't want to be asked anything. Her hopes were crushed. "Perhaps this would be a good time to get the Dragonborn's input on this matter." What?! Oh come on! Thanks Arngeir! Elisieya lifted her head some, looking straight at Arngeir then glanced between both sides of the table, slowly sitting back and lowering her hands to her lap. Ulfric turned to her, as did everyone else in the room, making her stiffen under their fierce gazes.

"By Ysmir's beard, the nerve of those Imperial bastards, eh?" He asked her, not really showing any other emotion other than agitation. "To think that I would sit down at the same table as that….Thalmor bitch. Either she walks or I do." With that ultimatum, and her own opinion in mind, this wasn't really a difficult choice for her. But that did not mean she wanted to be the final decision-maker.

"You're right. The Thalmor have no business here." The answer flew out of her mouth before she could stop it. She wanted to be diplomatic, but that didn't seem to work out for her, like ever. The reaction was as to be expected. The Imperials weren't too pleased, but the Stormcloaks seemed satisfied enough.

"I'm glad we agree on this." Ulfric told her, a small, victorious smile on his face.

"Very well, Ulfric. Enjoy your petty victory. The Thalmor will treat with whatever government rules Skyrim. We would not think of interfering in your Civil War." Elenwen stated as she stood.

"Ha! Skyrim will never bow to the Thalmor!" Galmar made sure she heard their opinions and practical mission statement. "Unlike your Imperial friends here."

"You're lucky I respect the Greybeards' council, Galmar!" Rikke snapped at him, turning Elisieya's attention to her now as she shot up.

"Legate. We represent the Emperor here." Tullius reminded the woman, scolding her subtly. He seemed to keep his soldiers in check, Elisieya could admit that much. Rikke returned to her seat, submissive, but still angry.

"Yes sir. It won't happen again." She assured the General and Arngeir resumed the meeting.

"Now that that's settled, may we proceed?" He asked both parties.

"I have something to say first." Ulfric told his simply as he and Galmar finally took their seat. Elisieya had a ton of respect for Ulfric, but did he honestly need to?

"Here we go."Legate Rikke groaned. She could practically hear the eye roll in Rikke's voice.

"The _only_ reason I agreed to attend this council was to deal with the dragon menace. There's nothing else to talk about." Ulfric spoke, turning his head to Tullius while saying his second sentence. "Unless the Empire has finally decided to renounce its unjust claim to rule over the free people of Skyrim." Elisieya would've loved to hear what Ulfric was saying, but Rikke was mumbling in her ear again.

"I knew he wouldn't be able to resist." Elisieya knew she wasn't talking to her, but she was starting to get annoyed with her constant murmuring.

"...a temporary truce to allow the Dragonborn here to deal with the dragons. Nothing more." Ulfric looked to Elisieya again, something in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. The two just stared for a short time before Ulfric returned his proud gaze to the Empire representatives. "I consider even talking to the Empire a generous gesture." Tullius seemed to have had enough by this point.

"Are you done?" He asked. "Did you just come here to make speeches? Or can we get down to business?"

"Yes, let's get this over with." Jarl Ulfric agreed.

"Are we ready to proceed?" Arngeir asked, once again looking to both parties. Elisieya sure fucking hoped so. When silence met his question, Arngeir continued. "Jarl Ulfric…" He looked to said man, "...General Tullius…" Again he looked to the man whose name he had said. "...this council is unprecedented. We are gathered here at the Dragonborn's request. I ask that you all respect the spirit of High Hrothgar, and do your best to begin the process to achieve a lasting peace in Skyrim." Couldn't have said it better herself. "Who would like to open the negotiations?"

"Yes, let's get down do it." Ulfric agreed. Apparently, he was going to start. As soon as the words began, Elisieya took up her earlier position of laying her head on her hand. "We want control of Markarth. That is our price for agreeing to a truce." Well, that was a big demand. With the silver mines littering the entire hole, Ulfric could fund his rebellion much better. And if needed, they could use the forges there to make weapons and armour. Plus it placed the Stormcloaks practically right at the butt of Solitude. Smart.

"So that's why you're here, Ulfric?" It was Elisif that spoke this time. She had been quiet up until now. "You dare to insult the Greybeards by using this council to advance your own position?"

"Jarl Elisif." Tullius warned.

"General this is outrageous. You can't be taking this demand seriously. I thought we were here to discuss a truce." She persisted.

"Elisif!" Tullius warned a little more firmly this time. "I said I'd handle it." The Imperial General looked to Ulfric now. "Ulfric, you can't seriously expect us to give up Markarth at the negotiating table. You hope to gain in council what you have been unable to gain in battle, is that it?"

"I'm sure Jarl Ulfric doesn't expect something for nothing." Arngeir spoke now, hoping to reduce some of the tension. "What does the Empire want in return?" As the elder continued to speak, once again Rikke was murmuring under her breath and into Elisieya's ear.

"Yes, because that would be entirely out of character." Sarcasm. That didn't sound right on Rikke's lips.

"Wait, General. You don't intend to hand over Markarth to that...traitor?!" Elisif exclaimed her disbelief. Balgruuf spoke as well, obviously unpleased by this as well.

"This is how the Empire repays us for our loyalty?" He asked. Elisieya could've told him that.

"Enough." Tullius ordered both Jarls. "First let's be clear, this council wasn't my idea. I think it's a waste of time." Hey! Was he putting the blame on Elisieya for this now? "You are a traitor to the Empire, and deserve a traitor's death. But I will at least negotiate in good faith." Putting it that way, Ulfric was a traitor. But only to the Empire. To Skyrim, he was their liberator and war hero. Perspectives made everything more complicated. Lost in thought, Elisieya did not notice the eyes now on her as the General continued. "Since we're all here at your request, I'd like to hear what you think Markarth is worth." Oh come on. Divines take her now. Elisieya lifted her head again and looked around. She glanced at Lydia, needing help on this. She may be a Nord, but she didn't grow up here. She was barely learning the holds as she traveled across them killing dragons. She also glanced to Ulfric, trying to send him a message of help and unease. But she couldn't ask him for help here. The Imperials would take that a bad way. She sighed heavily, one city coming to mind that might help the Imperials as much as Markarth helped the Stormcloaks. She didn't want to help them, but she had to keep things even. There was one place she never really went to.

"Dawnstar seems like a fair trade." Elisieya offered. Tullius gave her a dead look.

"In exchange for Markarth, the source of most of Skyrim's silver? Hardly." He responded. Shit. Now what. Elisieya didn't want to keep talking. She was a woman of action, not politics. But she had to. "Riften seems like a better choice to me. Well-fortified, easily resupplied across Lake Honrich. Plus all the mead we can drink." Tullius's attempt of humor did cause a slight curve to form in the corner of her mouth. Yet, she wasn't sure. Having Riften in the hands of the Imperials would put Maven Black-Briar in charge. While she may be the Guild's major client, that did not mean Elisieya wanted her as Jarl.

"There are advantages to gaining Dawnstar." She hoped to persuade the General into taking it. Giving the Empire Riften just didn't sit well in her stomach.

"Not enough to outweigh the loss of Markarth. With the Reach in enemy hands, our position in Solitude would be threatened." Shit. Elisieya couldn't think of a counter argument for that. With no other choice in mind, she caved. She was going to agree, but the look on Tullius's face, on Rikke's face just angered her further. She would not bow to them.

"You asked my opinion, and I gave it." She stated simply, looking her piercing eyes with the so called 'General'. He stared back, the tension rising within the room.

"The Dragonborn has spoken, Tullius. Markarth will be ours. Now we will see if there's anything behind your talk of 'good faith'." Ulfric crossed his arms over his chest and kept his gaze on the General, who did the same. Tullius still had not looked away from Elisieya.

"You disappoint me Dragonborn. I accepted your invitation on trust of your good name. But it seems you intend to favor Ulfric." Lydia saw the look that crossed Elisieya's face and knew that if she didn't do something, bad things were to follow. Subtly, Lydia placed her hand on Elisieya's arm, practically pleading with her friend not to say anything else. But her pleas went unnoticed to the enraged Dragonborn as Tullius continued. "I can see now that this is not a negotiation at all. I know you Ulfric. If I hand over Markarth-" A frustrated, angry, and exasperated laugh came from the Dragonborn. The silence was deafening on everyone's ears, except Elisieya's, who continued to laugh.

"Oh Divines, please just take me up now. I'm so finished with all of this." Elisieya spoke to the ceiling, smiling a plastered smile before she stood. She kept that same, fake smile as she removed her sword, scabbard and all, and placed it on the table. Followed by her shield, helmet, gauntlets, and eventually her Blades armor. She was wearing a belted tunic shirt under, with black pants, but that did not mean the others weren't getting uncomfortable.

"Uh, Dragonborn?" Delphine asked, but said nothing else as Elisieya held up her hand, still smiling.

"I'm done. I can't take this anymore. I'm not here to help either one of you in this war. I only called this meeting because Balgruuf wouldn't help me trap a dragon while you two fought. Well you know what? It doesn't matter anymore. Every time I try to help, the blame gets turned around on me if things go wrong. And if they go right, you know what I get? A simple thanks and nothing else. No one in this Gods damned world even knows my name other than those close to me. I'm either Dragonborn, or stranger. There is no middle." Elisieya began, and would not stop until she was finished. "Why should I continue to help a people who don't even know what I have already given up to help them? Why should I be the one to continue to fight, when all others have stopped? I am twenty, fucking years old and am going against an evil that even the Great Warriors of old couldn't defeat, and yet I'm expected to be the one to kill him! All because of a blood tie to Akatosh that I don't even want, nor did I ask for!" She snapped, her voice booming like a dragon's own speaking voice now. "I have not gotten help from ANYONE who has claimed to be my friends! I am completely on my own on this! I have to find a way to travel to Sovngarde while still breathing, and return the same way! I have to find out how to kill the mother fucking World Eater on my own! I'm sorry if I'm not too damned concerned on who I help more right now, since in the end I'm the one helping every pathetic soul on this plain of existence from being devoured! You should be asking ME what YOU can do to help ME! Not what I can do to help YOU!" Elisieya paused for breath, her face red with fury and her expression unchanging. She locked eyes with every single being in this room, most of whom had to turn their gaze away. "I'm done." She stated pointedly. "Work this out amongst yourselves. You are fucking adults! Stop acting like two year olds who are fighting over a sweet roll." She spat. With those last words said, Elisieya stomped out of the room, leaving a tense and awkward silence in her wake.

Elisieya walked herself up to the peak of the Throat of the World, her robes wrapped tightly around her body to block out the wind. She had left the so called adults to work things out on their own as she desired the guidance of Paarthurnax. The Dragon Wall that had housed the Word of Power she learned to greet the elder dragon hadn't even come into sight when she heard her mentor's voice.

"That was quite a display, Dovahkiin." Great. He was using what Elisieya could only describe as his 'dad' voice. He was upset with her. Well, you know what? She was upset too.

"Thank you. I try my best." She replied sarcastically as she continued to climb. She knew where he was. He was sat to her right upon a high gathering of rocks. Paarthurnax was not amused with her attitude.

"Dovahkiin, this _maar_ \- this terrible behavior of yours needs to change." He scolded her. Elisieya wasn't having it right now, but she was going to learn why you do not fight with an elder dragon using the dad voice.

"Oh yeah? And why should I? They deserved every word! I'm here, sacrificing my life for them, and they have the audacity…." Her growl didn't get to finish as Paarthurnax flew off his perch and landed directly in front of her.

" _Nahlot_!" He ordered, causing Elisieya to jump back some in surprise. He hadn't ever raised his voice to her before. _"Daar los ni do hi, kiir_! This is about everyone else! You were sent to this world by _fin bormah,_ by Akatosh, to serve him and _joor fan_. This is the same pattern of _mindol_ -of thought that causes you to _al_ Alduin. He too thinks himself _lot_ than the inhabitants of Nirn that _Bormahu_ allowed to be created. _Joor_ are his creation, his subjects, just as you are. You serve him by _spaan ahrk spaan_ them." Paarthurnax paused, allowing his words to cultivate in the Dovahkiin's mind. "You may have _sil_ of a _dovah_ , but you are mortal still." Paarthurnax lowered his voice, letting it become softer. "Without them, there would be no you. And without you, there would be no them. It is _tiid-_ time for you to grow up, Dovahkiin, and accept your responsibilities. You _fent_ \- shallgrow, and stop playing the victim card. And be the _hun_ you were always meant to be. The _saviik_ we all know you are." Paarthurnax watched as the child stared at the snow, her brows creased as she resisted the urge to cry. She was not a scorned child! But she was. She looked back up to Paarthurnax as he gently wrapped his wings around her and kept her close to him. Elisieya's will finally broke as she began to sob as she wrapped her arms around the base of his neck, or at least the best she could. She had been so foolish. Those men and women back there didn't deserve her misplaced aggression. She was just being a petty jerk. Elisieya rested her cheek against Paarthurnax's rather warm scales, her crying having slowed down. "You are brave, _kiir_. There is heavy weight upon your shoulders. But do not let that turn you into what you are trying to destroy." Those words struck deeper than the others had. Elisieya gave a simple nod, feeling emotionally drained after all that had occurred. Paarthurnax felt this and shifted. He curled his large frame around her, having her lay against one of his wings while the other covered her. With his head now resting down against his wings and snow. Elisieya was completely hidden from the world. She blinked the tears from her eyes as she looked around the exposed underside of the dragon's belly. The radiating warmth coming from his underscales caused her eyes to grow heavier and eventually close. For the first time in several days, Elisieya slept without nightmares to wake her.

Ulfric took a deep breath and used Clear Skies one last time to break through the winter mist. He had been taught this shout while he studied here. The Greybeards believed he would have stayed on and would have eventually been ready to meet Paarthurnax. So, the taught him the shout since it did take years to master a single word. Unless you were Elisieya, the very woman he had gone to look for. Arngeir was reluctant to give Elisieya's whereabouts after the search through High Hrothgar had turned up empty results, but he had given her most possible location, and Ulfric volunteered to go look for her there. The climb was treacherous, as to be expected. Anyone seeking to meet the Master of the Greybeards would need to have no doubts in their mind, nor soul. Ulfric was intrigued to say the least. He, himself, had yet to meet the Master that the Greybeards were so protective of, and wondered what kind of man could gain the Dragonborn's trust and admiration so easily. Not that he was jealous. She was a friend and a good warrior, nothing more. She couldn't be anything more. He couldn't hope. To hope, then have it taken from him just as his family had been before...it could quite possibly be the death of him. She shared a name and birthday with his late daughter. Nothing more. Ulfric Stormcloak, the Jarl of Windhelm, was a strong man. Yet he was not sure he could be strong enough to even have the thoughts return to his mind like they had the night before. So, he turned his thoughts from possibilities and to whom the Master of the Greybeards was, and if Elisieya was indeed with him. Of all the scenarios he had concocted, they were all shatter as he made his way to the top of the summit and spotted a large, curled up form. The head of the beast raised as it seem to acknowledge Ulfric for a moment.

" _Drem yol lok_." The voice thundered, but seemingly quiet at the same time. "I knew you would come, Jarl Ulfric." It greeted.

"You know me?" The man questioned, earning a simple nod of the dragon's head.

"Yes. I have heard your _thu'um_ many times from here. I am Paarthurnax. But you have not come for _tinvaak_." The dragon, Paarthurnax, spoke then seemed to halt and chuckle. Oh how he was having a feeling of deja-vu. "You and the Dovahkiin share rather similar _zii_ -spirits." He commented, making his gaze lock deeply with the Jarl's. Ulfric, trying to avoid the meaning he was giving, spoke.

"You know why I have come then." He spoke evenly. If dragons could sigh, Ulfric would say that the dragon just had.

" _Fin golah do muz._ " The dragon muttered, knowing the mortal would not understand his tongue. "She is here, yet she needs rest." Paarthurnax slowly opened his wings, revealing a curled up and peaceful looking Elisieya as she slept against one of her own kind. Taking this as a sign to approach, Ulfric stepped closer and made sure not to hurt the dragon as he moved to Elisieya. Gently and determined not to wake her, Ulfric lifted the young adult into his arms and held her close, keeping her warm and protected. The man and dragon shared a long gaze till Ulfric turned away and began to head back down the summit. "Jarl Ulfric." Paarthurnax called to him. Said man turned, looking to him. What he said next broke everything the Jarl grew to know of the world. "You are right to hope."

 **Translations:**

 _ **Daar los ni do hi, kiir!**_ **-This is not about you, child!**

 _ **Fin bormah**_ **-the father**

 _ **Joor fan**_ **\- mortal kind**

 _ **Al**_ **-destroy**

 _ **Lot**_ **-greater**

 _ **Bormahu**_ **-the father of dragons, our father, Akatosh**

 _ **Spaan ahrk spaan**_ **-protecting and defending**

 _ **Sil-soul**_

 _ **Dovah**_ **-dragon**

 _ **Tiid**_ **-time**

 _ **Fent**_ **-shall**

 _ **Hun**_ **-hero**

 _ **Saviik**_ **-savior**

 _ **Drem yol lok**_ **-Greetings**

 _ **Tinvaak**_ **-conversation**

 _ **Zii-**_ **spirits**

 _ **Fin golah do muz-**_ **The stubbornness of men.**


	6. Chapter Five-While We Wait

**Back ladies and gents, with another chapter of A True Warrior's Elegy. I won't answer any questions about the story just yet. I want you to take from it what you will, not what I say for you to see it as. Usual disclaimer: I own nothing but Elisieya, and the plot changes. Without further ado….**

Elisieya stirred in the bed she had been placed in as she began to return to the conscious world. Slowly, her golden, honey colored eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw, was Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, sitting next to her bed. She blinked slowly, still only half awake. She was laying on her right side, clutching one of the many fur blankets that were housed in High Hrothgar. Ulfric gazed down at her, a smile slowly beginning to form on his face. "You have slept for quite awhile, Dragonborn." He greeted softly. He couldn't say her name. Not yet. Elisieya's response was to look from him and glance around the room. It wasn't her room. Nor was it the top of the Throat of the World of the World, with Paarthurnax. Her brows furrowed.

"How'd I get here?" she asked quietly, trying to sit up, only to have the blood rush quickly to her head. She closed her eyes again, trying to gain her focus back as a hand rested on her shoulder and guided her back down.

"Don't sit up too fast. You'll make yourself sick." Ulfric scolded, but not angrily. "I carried you back down from the mountain. Paarthurnax recommended that you not be woken." Elisieya looked up to him, blinking slowly before nodding. She was quiet, her gaze away from him and held a rather guilty look.

"Jarl, about earlier, in the council…" Elisieya started, but Ulfric hushed her by gently brushing back her hair.

"You don't need to say anything. If I were in your position, I would have reacted the same." He tried to reconcile her, but she wasn't having it.

"No, you wouldn't have. You're a true leader, strong, serious, brave, and think about others instead of yourself. I was only thinking of me in that meeting, when I should've been thinking about all the people that would be affected by my choices. You, included." She sighed some, seeming to curl into the blankets further. "I shouldn't have snapped like that. I only made things worse." Ulfric did not interrupt her, letting her get out what she needed to say before he would speak. Once it seemed that she had said all she needed to, he resumed petting the top of her head. This seemed to be helping to soothe her.

"Elisieya, while you are right in saying you shouldn't have reacted the way you did, no one can blame you for doing so." The girl's face held a look of both confusion and denial. She didn't believe him. "You are still young. You do not have the years of experience that those gathered in that meeting have. You are still making mistakes, and learning from them."

"I can't afford to make mistakes." Elisieya protested softly. "The entire world is counting on me. If I make a mistake, then this world is lost." Ulfric sighed a bit in response.

"Elisieya. You can make mistakes in matters of yourself. In fact, you need to make mistakes to learn who you really are and what kind of person you want to be. You are too hard on yourself." He continued to pet her head as he spoke, earning a soft noise from the child before him. A child, thanks to the confirmation of Paarthurnax, that he had thought had been lost so long ago. All that remained now, was to decide when would be a good time to speak on this newfound information. After a moment of studying the fragile state the little Dovahkiin was in, he ultimately decided that now was not a good time. Maybe the time wouldn't be right for a long while, but for him, just knowing she was here and alive was enough to keep him patient for a little longer. Their comfortable silence was broken by a soft rumbling noise and a bright red color coming to Elisieya's cheeks. Ulfric chuckled and stood. "How about we get something to eat?" he suggested, helping the drowsy warrior sit up.

"Food does sound nice right now." She admitted, still a bit embarrassed by the dying animal noise her stomach had just made. She held to the man next to her as she stood, still feeling rather drained and unbalanced for the first few moments that she was standing. As they walked, her muscles began to obey her once again and her balanced had returned. So, the pair walked side by side now, Elisieya assuring Ulfric that she could stand on her own now. "Who else is still here?" Elisieya questioned unsurly. If they were all still here, she wanted to avoid as many of them as possible.

"The Imperials and Imperial sympathizers had left. Esbern and Delphine had something rather important to discuss with you on how to luwer a dragon to Dragonsreach. Balgruuf will help now and there is a truce between us and the Imperial Legion, for now. You did very well in waking us up, Dragonborn." Ulfric informed her, watching her from the corner of his eye. She relaxed at this news and held back a sad smile. At least she did something right then. Having been guided to the eating area, Elisieya was promptly attacked by a worrying sister. Lydia had thrown her arms around her Thane, no longer caring about being professional. This was her baby sister after all, and she had scared the ever living out of her.

"Where have you been?! We looked for you for hours until Jarl Ulfric found you. Do you know how worried I was?!" Lydia exclaimed after she pulled back from the hug to hold Elisieya's shoulders so they were eye to eye. Elisieya blinked rapidly in surprise, not having expected such an attack so suddenly.

"Oh. I...I was….at the Throat of the World. Thinking." She partially lied. She was just as protective of Paarthurnax as the Greybeards were, and there were two dragon hunters in the room with them. Lydia understood her meaning, however, and nodded before hugging her again.

"Don't scare me like that again." The Housecarl warned as Elisieya returned the hug, chuckling.

"Next time I decide to run off, I promise to let you know." She joked some, letting the hug break as Lydia pulled back.

"Next time you leave without telling me, I'll lock you in your room." She threatened, causing Elisieya to laugh loudly and Ulfric to chuckle.

"Yes mom." Elisieya retorted teasingly, sticking her tongue out at the woman, who in return pushed her face away some. The two women laughed together and the aura in the room lifted drastically.

"Come on, you must be starving. You slept through dinner." Lydia informed her, smirking at the look of horror on Elisieya's face.

"No. Did I really? Did I miss the food?" She asked, starting to worry until she saw the look on Lydia's face. She pouted at her best friend, huffing. "Not funny."

"I thought it was." Ulfric threw in, resulting in him to now be on the receiving end of Elisieya's pout.

"Fine. Be mean why don't you?" She asked them both jokingly. "I'm going to eat. You two share jokes." Elisieya was smiling again as she started walking, her two companions following. The Dragonborn looked to the other faces in the room, spotting Esbern, Delphine, Arngeir, Borri, and the other two Greybeards. It seemed that they were all relatively getting along, talking of the old days to one another. This was a nice improvement. Elisieya smiled some at everyone, who looked to her and returned the gesture.

"It is good to see that you are alright." Esbern spoke, standing from his seat and moving to the girl. He embraced her briefly, then stepped back. "You had us all worried." Elisieya looked to her feet in shame for a moment, but bravely let her eyes travel back to his and swallowed her pride. This was an incredible accomplishment for a dragon.

"I'm sorry for how I acted. It was childish and rude, and won't happen again." She promised the others. Arngeir spoke this time.

"It is expected, Dragonborn. You are under a lot of stress, and it is cruel of us to ask so much more of you." He appeased her festering guilt and worry. Elisieya offered a slight smile to him.

"Still doesn't really excuse it." Arngeir was going to say more, but Elisieya cut him off when she looked behind him and saw the food that had been set out. Roasted venison, Black Briar Mead, honey treats, grilled leeks, and so much else. Her mouth began to water at the sight and Arngeir stepped aside, motioning with his hand to let her go. Elisieya smiled and hurried to gather food, take a seat with her friends and chat. The only ones now missing from the table were Galmar and Ulfric. The Jarl stood off to the side, wanting to remain unseen, but still be in a good spot to watch the group before him. Thousands of thoughts ran through his head with the information he had been presented with. Elisiya was here. His little Elisiya, the infant with wide eyes and a bright smile, with her crazy amounts of energy that had kept Eristia and him on their toes, chasing after the little troublemaker. The child who would cry when she fell, or when she was chased by grasshoppers and chickens. The baby who would curl up on his chest and sleep with her bear in her arms and his hand over her to protect her. His Elisiya. Ulfric took in her mannerisms as the young adult ate in the comfort of a safe place and good company. She was loud, yes, but her words were kind, her actions and gestures not too wild, and her smile never falling. She did have an issue of placing her elbows on the table, which wasn't really proper, and she would slouch sometimes, but she never talked with her mouth full and kept a hand over her mouth when she would laugh or need to say something short. Ulfric glanced down and took note of how she sat, one ankle crossed over the other. Eristia sat like that often. She never had her feet flat on the floor, and when he had asked her about it, she had simply answered it was just something she did. It seemed the Elisiya did as well. A smile came to his lips, but it wasn't exactly a happy one. It was melancholy, almost bitter. He knew next to nothing about the girl, no the woman, before him despite her being his. He never got to learn. He would never get to see her off on her first day of lessons, or teach her how to hold an axe properly, though she didn't seem to need help on that matter. All these thoughts were all too familiar to him. They had first appeared after he had heard the news and saw their bodies for himself. That raised a rather sticky question. If it wasn't Elisiya's body who was with his wife's, burned and nearly unrecognizable, then whose was it? Ulfric didn't need to hear Galmar speak to know that the man had walked up behind him. He was about as stealthy as a mammoth in a field of skeevers.

"Have you said anything yet?" His long time friend questioned. Ulfric didn't answer immediately as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossing over his chest.

"The time isn't right yet." He replied simply, but kept his voice quiet.

"The time isn't right? Ulfric, you believed her dead for all these years. You've been without her for so long, and she has been without you in return for nearly nineteen years. I'd say you both have waited long enough." Galmar stated his opinion. Though the man wasn't known to be patient. He was still, in fact, pushing him to start this revolution more fully by attacking Whiterun. But now was not the time, nor was it the time for the two Stormcloaks to reunite.

"She has a destiny in place that I don't dare interfere with, Galmar. I want her full attention on the enormous task she has to undertake, not on wonders and worries of her father." Ulfric whispered, being sure that it was just the man next to him that could hear his words. He wanted Elisieya to focus on defeating Alduin. It would keep her alive during her legendary battle. Then they could share words on her parentage. But no sooner than after that battle. He wanted her to return home after all. Besides, he also had another reason for holding back. Ulfric Stormcloak, the Bear of Markarth, leader of the rebellion against the Empire, commander of thousands and true High King of Skyrim….was afraid. He was afraid of his child turning away from him, once she knew the truth. Afraid that if he said the truth out loud, that it would make it real again. Afraid that if they were to accept this and the truth to be shared, that many of his enemies would go after her in a heartbeat to get to him. He was also afraid that if he told her, and something happened to her, that he would not be able to move on from her death this time. That if she died, it would most certainly kill him as well. Galmar sensed the conflict within his Jarl, his companion from the Great War. He looked to Elisieya as well now, watching the girl to look for similarities between the man next to him and his child before him. They both seemed to be able to hold the attention of an entire room, that was for sure. She was good at communicating, right now anyway. She was strong, brave, pigheaded, and a true Nord. It was something a man like him could tell. He dealt with true Nords on a daily basis, and they all seemed to have a few of the same characteristics, much of which he had just listed to describe Elisieya Stormcloak.

"I hold you to your words, Ulfric. As soon as she returns from her battle, you will tell her. If you don't, I kick you off that throne of yours and tell her myself." Galmar warned, causing the Jarl to chuckle.

"You would, wouldn't you?" Ulfric asked rhetorically, finally looking to him and not at Elisieya. "I don't know what the Divines have in store for us, but when I have an opportunity, I will tell her. I swear to that." He promised the shorter man. The two shared a nod before they walked further into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt." He called for the attention of the dining Nords. The gazes turned to him, but it was when Elisieya looked to him that he felt as if he had been thrown into a loop. He was looking at her in a whole new light now, the light a father sees in his daughter. Pushing back all emotions and keeping himself composed, he bowed his head slightly. "We must be going. After all, I have a rebellion to manage." He spoke with amusement in his voice. The response he got, was not one that he had been fully expecting. Elisieya's joyous expression fell and she looked to him with worry and sadness.

"You're leaving?" She asked. Well, he did just say that didn't he? Ulfric stared back at her, a hurricane of emotions jolting through his core.

"I'm afraid so. I must return to Windhelm. I have my responsibilities, as do you, Dragonborn." He spoke formally, much like a diplomat. "Though, when you return from your legendary defeat of Alduin, I will look to my Hold's doors for you." He guaranteed her, his smile small yet gentle. Elisieya's own smile returned, but it was much smaller that before.

"I'll be sure to stop by then. Be safe on your travels." She stated apprehensively, as if she feared something would happen to them on their trip back to the Hold capital.

"We shall, and the same to you, Elisieya." Ulfric, with his final goodbyes said, turned to head to the main doors out of High Hrothgar. The two men were nearly there when a voice called to them, followed by rapid footsteps. Ulfric had barely turned around when a large form barreled directly into him. He staggered slightly by the sheer surprise of the force, but looked down at the form who had her arms clasped tightly around his torso. He blinked slowly, as if only starting to register what was happening. Elisieya was holding to him tightly, as any child would if their father was leaving. She said nothing, but just held him tight. It did not take much longer for Ulfric's own arms to wrap around the girl and return the affectionate embrace. He smiled at her, despite a growing tightness in his chest that was not being caused by Elisieya. "I will be fine, little bear. It is you that should be your main concern." He attempted to scold, but just having her in his arms again removed all other feelings that were not contentment, joy, peace, belonging, and completeness. Elisieya smiled at his words, and his nickname for her, before she lifted her head to look up at him. It was rather funny to see, honestly. A 6'2" male being held firmly in place by a woman no taller than 5'4" herself. She wanted to say something to him, say more, but the words she had wanted to convey to him as a goodbye left her mind as she hugged him. He looked back down at her, their smiles matching one another as he gently pet her hair. Knowing that the two no longer needed words, Ulfric leaned forward and placed an affectionate, chaste kiss to her forehead. Finally, knowing that he could not delay any longer, Ulfric broke the embrace. Both immediately felt the lack of warmth and calming feelings once they were apart. They stared at one another for a moment longer, till Elisieya tilted her head in curiosity as Ulfric reached up to the back of his neck. He unclasped an amulet that he had worn all his days. It had only been taken from him once, and that was during his time in the Thalmor prisons. He had stolen it back from them on the day of his escape and it had not left his neck since. Until now, that is. Realizing what he was doing, Elisieya bowed her head a bit, moving her hair some as he fastened the link once more, but around a different neck this time. Once it was secured on, Elisieya returned to her previous position, her fingers gently brushing the metallic charm as she looked to it. Her smile never wavered as she looked back up to Ulfric. "I expect that back when you return." He was teasing of course, but it made him feel better just knowing she had it now. Elisieya closed her fingers around the blessed charm and held it securely in her fist.

"I might just keep it for a while longer after I get back." She joked in return. The pair could not tarry any longer. If they did, they would never be able to truly separate.

"See you in Windhelm, little bear." Ulfric whispered. With the final, last goodbyes issued, the two Nordic men exited the monastery. Elisieya watched the heavy doors close before she returned her eyes to Amulet of Talos that she now carried with her.

Elisieya sighed as she was once again bumping around in a carriage. This time, it wasn't to her death. Well, maybe it was. They would have to wait and see. After being told by Esbern the name of a dragon to call, she had began to get ready for her return trip to Whiterun. That was until Delphine cornered her and stated to the Dovahkiin that they knew of Paarthurnax, and that she wanted her to kill him. If she didn't, they wouldn't help her any further and she could not become a Blade. Needless to say that Elisieya's reaction was not a pleasant one. After basically saying that she would rather die than be a Blade if it meant betraying someone who helped her, treated her kindly, and was a wonderful person, er, dragon, she technically told Delphine to go fuck herself and even gave her the Blades armour she had worn. Now Elisieya was in Orcish armour that she had discovered while at Cracked Tusk Keep. It was sturdy and protective, also very badass looking, but it was different. Elisieya had gotten used to wearing the Blades armour, but she could also get unused to it. There was little different of her appearance. Same preference of Heavy Armour, same eyes, same hair, but there were two differences. One was obvious. The other was hidden safely. The obvious difference was that Elisieya was wearing her hair differently. She had pulled it back, two braided locks on each side of her head that connected to a leather hair tie that held the rest of her wild mane back. Well, most of it anyway. She had a few stragglers and baby hairs around her forehead and sides of her face, but they weren't a bother. The hidden difference was the Amulet of Talos Elisieya now wore around her neck and under her armour. Since the four days after receiving it, she had yet to remove it. Her thoughts rested on it and the faith of the man who had previously owned it. Ulfric believed in her, more so than anyone if she was so bold as to say so. There was a pride in his eyes when she had protested in the peace council, a look as if she had boosted his ego by just standing up and speaking out. That same look of pride, plus joy and affection added in, remained on his face even as he said goodbye and told her of his faith in her completion of her destiny. He did not outright say it, but him assuring her that she was going to come back was enough for her. When the bouncing of the carriage stopped, Elisieya nearly flung herself out the back of it, earning a small head shake from her follower, Lydia. The walk to Dragonsreach was a lot more tense this go around. Knowing what needed to be done left Elisieya with anxiety and fear, yet also excitement. She was going to catch a dragon. The first one to do so in hundreds, if not thousands of years. Assuring Balgruuf that she was ready and knew what she was doing, he lead them out to the "porch" of Dragonsreach, if you could call it that. Elisieya stood at the end of it now, looking out at the sky before her.

"You do have a plan for luring a dragon here, right?" Balgruuf asked her and Elisieya resisted the urge to roll her eyes. No, she was just standing here to look all majestic and pretty. Deciding to let her actions answer the Jarl, Elisieya took a deep breath before shouting the name.

"Odahviing!" She shouted to the skies, a soft flash of pale blue appearing from her mouth but disappearing just as quickly. Not even thirty seconds after calling the name, the loud, booming roar of a dragon was heard. Elisieya took in another deep breath, getting ready to shout Dragonrend when Odahviing appeared. She drew Dragonsbane, backing up some as they all scanned the skies for the source of the roar moving about. She had a brief flashback to Helgen, but that passed when Odahviing came into view. Stepping back a few steps just as Odahviing swooped down and grabbed a guard that had been next to her in his claws. He promptly opened his claws, dropping the soldier to his death before he circled back around to the porch, calling to her.

"Dovahkiin!" His voice was nearly enough to shake the very stones out of Dragonsreach itself. He perched himself on the edge of the porch, shaking the ground and throwing everyone off balance for a short time. "Here I am!" After his words in her language, Elisieya heard his words as he spout fire at the men around her. With him focused on them, Elisieya shouted at the Dovah, trapping him in Dragonrend.

" _Joor Zah Frul!_ " The light of blue and white surrounded Odahviing and made him stumble down onto the Great Porch finally. The dragon returned his attention to the Dovahkiin as she backed up, luring him deeper into Dragonsreach. And he took the bait. As soon as he was in position, Elisieya whistled and the guards dropped the overgrown wooden collar onto Odahviing, locking him in place. The dragon roared out for a moment, looking from side to side at the chains that tethered him to the ground.

" _Harvutah med kodaav._ Caught like a bear in a trap." The dragon spoke, his head lowered slightly. " _Zoh frini grind ko grah drun viiki, Dovahkiin._ " The two dragons stared at one another before Odahviing spoke again. "Ah, I forget. You do not have the dovah speech." Elisieya almost felt insulted by the way he said this. It's not like there were any books around where she could actually study the language, and she didn't have time to sit with Paarthurnax and learn it, as much as she would love to do so. Still, she did not let him wind her up. Odahviing translated for her. "My...eagerness to meet you in battle was my….undoing, Dovahkiin. I salute your, hmm, low cunning in devising such a _grahmindol_ -strategem." Elisieya raised an eyebrow at him, a small smile coming to her face. She knew he was basically being an honorable asshole. " _Zu'u bonaar._ You went to a great deal of trouble to put me in this….humiliating position. _Hind siiv_ Alduin, hmm? No doubt you want to know where to find Alduin?" He questioned. Elisieya offered him the same respect he was showing her.

"Yes, I would. Where is he hiding?" She asked, feeling a stir in emotions from the Dov. Odahviing seemed amused by her wording.

" _Rinik vazah._ An apt phrase. Alduin _bovul._ One reason I came to your call was to test your Thu'um for myself." Elisieya wasn't sure if she should be flattered or intimidated. He came just because she shouted? That would most likely mean that other dragons would follow his example when she used her Thu'um. "Many of us have begun to question Alduin's lordship, whether his Thu'um was truly the strongest." Odahviing admitted. Once again, should she be flattered for freaked out? "Among ourselves, of course. _Mu ni meyye._ None were yet ready to openly defy him."

"While I'm flattered by this, I think we're getting off topic here. You were telling me how to find Alduin?" Elisieya interjected, one eyebrow raised in questioning.

" _Unslaad krosis._ Innumerable pardons. I digress." Odahviing apologized. There was something that Elisieya was learning about dragons rather quickly. They all seemed to love to talk and get off topic. "He has traveled to Sovngarde to regain his strength, devouring the _sillesejoor_ \- the souls of the mortal dead. A privilege he jealously guards…" Elisieya knew it! There was no where else he could've gone, but now how did he get there and back without having to die? That was something Elisieya desperately wanted to know. "His door to Sovngarde is at Skuldafn, one of his ancient fanes high in the eastern mountains." Elisieya nodded slowly in understanding. Skuldafn. Why did that sound familiar? Skuldafn. Skuldafn. Whatever reasoning, it caused a sense of dread to grow in her chest." _Mindoraan, pah ok middovahhe lahraan til._ I surely do not need to warn you that all his remaining strength is marshalled there." Odahviing stated, it still being a warning either way.

"Skuldafn, huh?" She asked, pursing her lips in thought. "Okay, thanks. That's all I needed."

" _Zu'u lost ofan hin laan_ ….now that I have answered your question, you will allow me to go free?" The captured Dovah asked. Elisieya tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she examined him as her thoughts raced. She still didn't fully trust him, and that was enough for her.

"Not till after I defeat Alduin." Elisieya answered, leaving no room for negotiations with the ancient being. Odahviing didn't seem finished, however.

"Hmm…. _krosis._ There is one….detail about Skuldafn I neglected to mention." Elisieya rolled her eyes. She wasn't in the mood to play games with him.

"Tell me what you know, then." Elisieya ordered.

"Only this. You have the Thu'um of a Dovah, but without the wings of one you will never set foot in Skuldafn." Of course there was a catch. There's always a catch. "Of course...I could fly you there. But not while imprisoned here." There it was. Elisieya sighed heavily and stared at Odahviing, trying to feel if she could really trust him.

"We seem to be at an impasse, then." She commented, wrapping one arm around her torso so she could rest her elbow on it and therefore rest her lips on her knuckles. Can the Divines just make one thing easy for her? Just one thing? Odahviing raised his lowered head to her once more.

"Indeed. _Orin brit ro._ I cannot leave here until you defeat Alduin, which you cannot do without my help." He was enjoying this, she could just tell. She was quiet for a long time, letting Odahviing's head drop again. Could she honestly trust him? The only Dovah that had not shown any sort of hostility towards her was Paarthurnax, and it still took a little while for him to gain her trust. Yet, she needed to stop Alduin, and she couldn't do so without Odahviing. She was going to have to go out on a limb here. She stepped forward, moving a bit closer to him and regaining his attention. "You have reconsidered my offer, hmm? _Onkiaan kron?_ " He asked mockingly. "You will release me- _ro laan_ \- if in return I promise to take you to Skuldafn and stop helping Alduin?" She truly had no other choice.

"Yes. I'll set you free if you promise to take me to Skuldafn." Elisieya bargained, earning some looks from the soldiers and her Housecarl, that she pleasantly ignored.

" _Onikaan koraav gein mirad._ It is wise to recognize when you have only one choice." Odahviing stated. It sounded like a compliment, but then again, Elisieya wasn't too sure about that. "And you can trust me. _Zu'u ni tahrodiis._ Alduin has proven himself unworthy to rule. I go my own way now." That wasn't too reassuring to her. His own way wasn't exactly on her side either. "Free me, and I shall carry you to Skuldafn." This was a bad idea. Elisieya just knew it, yet she had no other option. She turned away from the dragon to walk up the steps towards the man that was in charge of the chains' lock. He looked to her in what she could only guess as a shocked expression due to his helmet blocking his face.

"I can't believe that worked!" He exclaimed in astonishment. "Something to tell the grandkids, eh?" Elisieya scoffed some. She wasn't a big fan of children and wasn't planning on having any. At all. She was an adventurer, it wouldn't be safe for one nor would she really have the time and patience for it. But she was getting off topic, like a Dovah.

"Open the trap." She ordered. The guard stiffened.

"You sure about that? You want to let that dragon loose after all the trouble to catch him there?" He was hesitant, and she couldn't blame him.

"Yes, I'm sure." The guard looked to Jarl Balgruuf as he sighed and walked forward.

"Your funeral. Someone else is gonna have to help you get him back in there again. Get ready to open the trap!" He stated as he gripped onto the lock. He paused while Elisieya walked back down the stairs to speak with Lydia. "This seems like a very bad idea to me."

"Carry on, soldier. This is all part of the Dragonborn's plan." Balgruuf assured him as Elisieya gave Lydia a look. Without needing to say a word, Lydia began to protest.

"No way. You're not leaving me here as you head into your biggest battle. You need me on this one." She protested, but Elisieya would not break.

"Yes, I will need you, but that's also why I need you to stay here. If I don't make it back, Tamriel is going to need all the fighters it can get." She stated before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, we'll see one another again. But, always hope for the best yet plan for the worst." Those were her final words to her traveling companion before Elisieya turned to follow Odahviing back out the open part of the Great Porch. She looked up to the dragon, who looked back to her.

" _Saraan uth._ I await your command, as promised. Are you ready to see the world as only a Dovah can?" Odahviing asked as Elisieya smiled up at him.

"I'm ready. Take me to Skuldafn." She ordered. Odahviing lowered and tilted his head for her to be able to climb onto him.

"I warn you, once you've flown the skies of _Keizaal_ , your envy of the dov will only increase." He told her as she steadily climbed onto him. " _Amativ! Mu bo katin stinselak._ " He spoke, yet Elisieya did not understand. She was too focused on holding to his tightly as he pushed off the ground, flapping his wings to put himself into the air and take off. A quiet gasp escaped her as she looked to the ground below them. Wow! He wasn't kidding! This was something else. Being in the sky, flying next to the clouds was enchanting. It caused her heart to beat faster and excitement to grow in place of fear. She closed her eyes for a brief time, letting the wind wash over her in waves.


End file.
